£1.7 Billion Worth of Spin

I am sick with disgust at the idiots at Westminster who think we are even bigger idiots than them.

 

Let’s start at the beginning…….

 

The European Union budget is partly financed on the basis of the gross national income figures of its members. The more income a country makes, the more it must pay into the budget. The EU commission calculated that Britain had actually performed better than it had originally reported and as a consequence was presented with a demand for £1.7 billion to be paid on 1 December 2014.

 

Ever keen to jump on some political goodwill and very conscious that UKIP’s anti-Euro policies are gaining momentum, David Cameron parked his floppy side parting and roared to the world whilst thumping his chest…..“the UK will not be paying this amount on 1 December 2014 or be held to ransom by Europe”. And off to Europe he went to defend our corner.

 

The result?

 

A reduction in the amount to £850 million and a delay in the date that it must be paid (towards the end of 2015).

 

David Cameron and George Osborne proclaimed to anyone who would listen that the UK had been defended and we fought our corner for the people.

 

All good then I hear you cry……unfortunately not.

 

1.     The reduction was not negotiated – we have simply used a credit we are entitled to in 2016 and have brought it forward.

 

2.     The date was negotiated to ensure that this money did not have to be found until after the General Election.

 

That’s hardly putting your balls on the line for the UK is it Mr Cameron? However, from all the spin you would have thought he had been to war and saved our land. For me, this is typical UK politics……lots of publicity to mask the real issue. And here it is:

 

In 2008 we paid £2.7 billion to the European Union budget. In 2013, this figure was £11.3 billion.

 

Which leaves me thinking……what exactly are the benefits of being in the EU and what do we get for our £11.3 billion?

 

It’s a frightening thought.