mr president we have often deplored the supposed lack of information for the public in the run-up to the european elections
i would submit after the recent intervention from mr mote that the greater problem is the wilful misinformation if not downright lies that are peddled before the public
in my country at the moment the so-called uk independence party the party that mr mote was elected for has posters across the country claiming that the european union costs us eur four hundred million per day in membership
that would be eur fifteen billion per year a figure that is actually five times higher than the factual figure which you can get from the house of commons library
not to be outdone their donor stuart wheeler has said it costs gbp one hundred and twenty billion per year some thirty-six times the real figure
but the truth is that the european budget anyway costing only eur three point three billion is a simple one of gdp
it is a rather small budget quite small when compared to the huge economic benefits which amount to some eur two zero per family in my country an enormous benefit well worth the price of membership well worth the benefit of mentioning
as you yourself said mr president the price of freedom is the right for some people to give misinformation and to tell lies
we have to pay that price but we must be vigorous in defending the truth
