wowser

Direct farm spending hit 50 billion euros last next year, according to the excellent CAP Health Check blog.

The blog also quite rightly jumps on the Commission's attempt to chop up and disguise the real extent of the spending.

The total cost, once you factor in the cost to taxpayers from higher prices due to EU tariffs, is about 120 billion euros.

To put that into context - here is how much the largest member states spend on R+D.

R+D spend (Bn euro)

Germany 58
France 38
UK 32
Italy 16

Future or past - take yer pick.