In the past, the big loser from the EU system, in budgetary terms, was the UK; for while agriculture accounted for two thirds of all EU spending, the UK had a small farm sector, and therefore received small farm payments. The British long complained of the unfairness of these rules, especially in view of the fact that the UK was one of the relatively poorer member states; and in 1984, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government demanded, and got, a massive rebate on its net contribution to the EU budget.
过去，英国是欧盟系统财政领域最大的输家。因为尽管农业占到了欧盟开支的三分之二，英国的农业规模却很有限，因此得到的农业补助也微乎其微。英国人很早就抱怨游戏规则的不公，尤其考虑到英国还属于欧盟内部相对贫困的国家。1984年，玛格丽特·萨切尔执政的保守党政府提出并获得了欧盟的批准，英国对欧盟的净税额自此大幅度降低。