The next budget starts in 2021. That's what they're planning now. The UK definitely coming out of the transition period at the end of the year means that can't extort any money out of us for the 2021 budget by dragging out the FTA talks indefinitely.
They hadn't planned on spending our money. What the argument is now about is whether the budget is reduced in line with the smaller EU or where the relatively few net contributors put more money into the pot to keep the EUs budget at or above the present level. The European Commission is naturally in favour of the latter.
- Less money means more net contributors to the EU - which is politically unpopular in those countries.
- With less funding, the EU has less bribes to dish out to persuade countries to give up more of their sovereignty.
My money says the European Commission tries to force through a budget increase using QMV.
The one sure thing is that, had we stayed in the EU, they would have been looking to chisel more money out of us.
Wordsmith