>>There isn’t a divorce penalty. It’s just the ongoing cost per the 7 year budget ending 2021.
Why should the UK pay into the EU budget after it’s no longer in the EU? That makes no sense other than being punitive.
The two costs that make up the amount asked for are:
1. the cost of ongoing salaries and pensions for British MEPs like Nigel Farage etc. (and others over the past few decades) + British commissioners like Julian King.
2. The budget is a 7 year budget (2014 to 2021) - so plans were made for projects, quite a few in the UK for that period. This is like three counties agreeing to a joint budget for 1 year, and that's for a bridge, say. Then in October one county says "I'm out" - the county already promised to pay until the end of the budget period.
Let's be clear - the UK is not asked and not expected to pay any money for any activities post the end of the budget period (by 2021) and not for any new projects proposed after they leave.