German MEP Nicolaus Fest said the UK could be happy it left the European Union following reports the bloc has been spending British taxpayers’ money on dance and puppetry lessons for asylum seekers. But Mr Fest said it was not the first time the continent has to spend money in bizarre ways as in 2020 it was revealed the EU spent over £23million on circus acts to promote cultural schemes. The MEP branded it “nonsense” during an angry rant on radio.
Speaking to Ian Collins on TalkRADIO, Mr Fest was invited to share his thoughts on the EU spending £350,000 on projects to help asylum seekers settle into Europe.
These projects, reported by The Sun Newspaper, include dance classes, puppetry lessons and storytelling lectures.
Two groups lead the campaigns with one named Migrant Bodies being given £172,000 and the other RAPPORT being given an additional £172,000
The projects were launched in 2017 and operated in the UK Poland, Spain and Sweden.
Another scheme that provided circus lessons to people in Palestine and Ethiopia ran between 2014 – 2019 and cost £22million.
The UK was required to pay £3million for the scheme which tried to spread culture, unity and healthy living.
Mr Fest, who was also a staunch critic of the programmes at the time they were announced, told the station: “The UK can be happy that they left this epicentre of nonsense and will not spend their money on the projects in the future.
“You know this is only a small part of wasteful spending.
Politician Nigel Farage also blasted the EU funding reports when they first came to light.
He said: “I always said it was a circus and we are the clowns still paying.”
The European Union is still wrangling with the UK over Northern Ireland Protocol arrangements as hauliers struggle to enter the country.
An EU ambassador said it would be unlikely for any grace period extension to materialise and warned there was no alternative to the Protocol currently.
