Labour criticise Nigel Farage's choice of venue for public meeting

The Labour Party are so desperate to undermine UKIP's surge ahead of the EU elections in May that they've sent out a press release criticising Nigel Farage for holding a public meeting in a building that got funding from the EU.

The Sage in Gateshead was partly funded by the EU Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which, according to Labour, means that Nigel Farage and UKIP are hypocritical. One of the Labour EU election candidates and TUC secretary, Judith Kirton-Darling, says that the £10m of our own money that the EU graciously gave us back to help build the Sage and other local landmarks is proof of the north east's important relationship with "Europe" (they mean the EU).

It costs us about £53m per day to be a member of the EU and we get about £1.6bn per year back via the ERDF. That's less than 8.5% of what we pay in. There is no such thing as "EU money" because the EU doesn't generate wealth, it leeches off the wealth of member states and loses approximately £1 in every £4 it is given to waste and fraud. The small percentage of our own money the EU gives us back isn't something to be grateful for, it should shame the politicians who allow so much of our money to be spent abroad when so many are in need at home.