Hyslop Supports EU Single Market and Customs Union Membership
West Lothian will Lose out on £666million investment after Brexit
A new publicly accessible database has laid bare the financial impact that leaving the EU will have on areas around the UK, the Lothians facing losses to funding of over £666million. Local Linlithgow Constituency MSP Fiona Hyslop has said the only way to avoid this is to remain in the single market and customs union.
The figures show that the EU has invested over £666million across the Lothians including over £81million support for employment and the economy. Last week, the SNP announced that up to £18 million of European cash would be used by the Scottish Government to set up an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to help small and medium sized businesses.
Fiona Hyslop commented;
“As these figures show my constituency has benefitted hugely from the strong relationship between Scotland and the European Union.
“EU funding has made a huge contribution to infrastructure, culture, and opportunities in Scotland. To break it down more clearly, the Lothians area will lose out on £36m annually for farmers, £460m investment on research, £87m on investment for young people and £2m of Culture and arts investment. This is just the latest analysis which confirms that Brexit is going to inflict major harm on our economy.
“This is far from delivering extra cash to our NHS that were famously promised by the Leave Campaign.
“We are being dragged out of the European Union against our will, and my constituency will be hugely damaged because of this. The only solution is to stay in the single market and customs union.”
ENDS
For Editors info:
The EU invests around £5billion a year in the UK, and the European single market is around eight times bigger than the UK market alone.
Funding details below
£36M/year for Farmers
EU Support for Farming
In 2017, the EU invested £36,110,139 to support 773 farmers.
Farm Funding around Edinburgh 2014–2017
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | Total | |
| European Agricultural Guarantee Fund | £28,736,316 | £26,627,305 | £24,032,367 | £25,856,865 | £105,252,853 |
| European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development | £5,810,334 | £12,039,119 | £4,965,895 | £10,253,274 | £33,068,622 |
| Total Funding | £34,546,650 | £38,666,424 | £28,998,262 | £36,110,139 | £138,321,475 |
| Number of Farms | 850 | 841 | 767 | 773 | |
| Average Funding per Farm | £40,643 | £45,977 | £37,807 | £46,714 |
The European Agricultural Gurantee Fund finances direct payments to farmers and regulations for agricultural markets. The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development finances programmes to make farm, forest and agri-food businesses more competitive, protect the environment, support rural economies and improve quality of life in rural areas.
£460M for Research
EU Support for Research
The EU has invested £463,930,518 to support 1059 research projects
£2M for Culture
EU Support for Culture, Creativity and the Arts
The EU has invested £1,922,306 to support 16 creative projects with partners
£87M for Young People
EU Support through Erasmus+
The EU has invested £86,780,518 to support 585 education, training, youth and sport projects with partners
£81M for Growth and Jobs
EU Support for Employment and the Economy
The EU has invested £81,252,753 to support 27 p