The end of British austerity starts with Brexit | John Redwood

My budget shows that leaving the EU would transform this country's finances - in particular the NHS, disability benefits and the property market

I want to end austerity. Voters want prosperity, not austerity. It's a sobering thought that the reductions in planned spending made by the coalition and the current government are not as big as the total sums we have sent to the EU and not received back over the same time period. If we leave the EU we will regain control of our own money. We could increase existing budgets and end the upcoming reductions.

The sums involved are set out clearly in the 2015 government account of our contributions and the sums we receive back. Our total contribution is 19.5bn, minus a 5bn rebate, thanks to Margaret Thatcher's renegotiation. We received 4.5bn back in payments to farmers, universities and other grant recipients form the EU, leaving 10bn of contributions that are spent elsewhere on the continent.

We should make 1.1bn available to avoid the cuts to disability benefits

Related: What would Brexit mean for everyday life in the UK?

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