Close

Results 1 to 15 of 15
  1. #1
    DF Admin 4me2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    33,090
    Thanks
    1,879
    Thanked:        2,033
    Karma Level
    2253

    Attention David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    Visibly furious Prime Minister hits out at 'surprise' £1.7billion EU bill and speaks of anger at 'appalling' way Britain has been treated by European Commission


    David Cameron arrives for a press conference after the heads of state meeting at the EU council headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium Photo: JULIEN WARNAND/EPA






    David Cameron has said Britain will refuse to pay a “completely unacceptable” bill of £1.7billion to the European Union.

    The Prime Minister hit out at the bill and spoke of his anger at the “appalling” way Britain has been treated by the European Commission.

    He said that “it certainly doesn’t help” the chances of Britain remaining in the EU after an in-out referendum due to be held in 2017.

    A visibly furious Mr Cameron said: “I'm not paying that bill on December 1. It is not going to happen.”

    The UK was on Thursday ambushed with a demand from the European Commission for the extra money because Britain’s economy has performed better than other economies in Europe since 1995.

    The surcharge - which would add almost a fifth to the UK's annual contribution of £8.6 billion - is intended to reflect Britain's better-than-expected economic performance relative to other EU states.
    It results from an EU recalculation of national incomes dating back to 1995 and taking into account recent changes in the rules to include economic activities such as prostitution and illegal drugs.
    Speaking in Brussels, Mr Cameron said: "This is completely unacceptable.
    "It is an unacceptable way for this organisation to work - to suddenly present a bill like this for such a vast sum of money with so little time to pay it. And it is an unacceptable way to treat one of the biggest contributors to the European Union.
    "It is an appalling way to behave. I am not paying that bill on December 1. If people think I am they have got another thing coming.
    “This organisation shouldn't be surprised if it behaves in its way if its members say it has to change.”

    Mr Cameron said that he found out about the bill on Thursday, but that Treasury officials were warned earlier this week.
    He earlier interrupted a meeting of leaders at the European Council to tell José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, that he had "no idea" of the impact of the budget hike would have in Britain.
    The Prime Minister said the issue would now be discussed at an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers and Britain would challenge it "every way possible".
    "The Prime Minister said to Barroso he had no idea of the impact that these things have - it's not just about public opinion, it's two billion euros," a Government source said.
    "It is something we are seeking to challenge. It's rather a large amount of money. The first thing is to discover precisely what the basis for the increase is."
    Prime Minister Renzi of Italy, which has also been hit by an invoice for increased payments, backed up Mr Cameron.
    The Prime Minister held talks at the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday night with Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte, who is facing a similar surcharge, on how they can challenge the demand for cash.
    Preliminary figures seen by the Financial Times suggest that Britain is facing by far the biggest top-up, while the Netherlands is being asked for an extra €642 million (£506 million).
    By contrast, Germany receives a rebate of €779 million (£614 million), France €1 billion (£788.7 million) and Poland €316 million (£249 million).



    David Cameron with Francois Hollande and European Council President Herman van Rompuy, sitting, during the summit
    (Olivier Hoslet/EPA)

    The demand was met with outrage by Eurosceptics.
    John Redwood, the former Tory trade secretary, said Mr Cameron should refuse to pay - and should amend the law if necessary to make clear the UK regards the demand as "illegal and unacceptable".
    Mr Redwood told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is a very large increase in tax on the British people, imposed retrospectively without their permission.
    "It offends all our principles of natural justice and fair taxation. The British people are already paying too much tax and he last thing they intend to do is sent another £1.7 billion to the Commission so that they can behave in the way they just have overnight."
    Patrick O'Flynn, a Ukip MEP, said: "The EU's budget surcharge is effectively asking UK taxpayers to fork out for the disaster of the Eurozone. Totally outrageous."
    Mark Pritchard, a Conservative MP for The Wrekin, said: "The timing and content of the EU budget demand shows how inept Brussels is. Brussels needs to work with the UK Government, not work against it.
    "Unless this behaviour changes, the EU referendum could be brought forward. Europe should not penalise the UK's economic success whilst rewarding France's economic failure."
    The surcharge is due for payment on December 1 - just days after the Rochester and Strood vote on November 20.
    Peter Bone, the Conservative MP for Wellingborough, said: "We are just being taken for a ride. We are paying more and more in and getting nothing in return.
    "Roll on the referendum - this will just strengthen the resolve of the British public to get out of this superstate.
    "They are trying to rub David Cameron's nose in the dirt for having the audacity to stand up and say freedom of movement is wrong."



    David Cameron arrives at the start of the second day of the European head of states summit in Brussels (Stephanie Lecocq/EPA)

    Labour and the Liberal Democrats also said the demand was unacceptable.
    Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, claimed the Prime Minister is likely to have known about the payment for "weeks".
    He said: "It is unacceptable it’s just been sprung upon people in this way but I’ve got to say what has our Prime Minister been doing?
    "I mean, how could he suddenly be surprised about this, surely the Treasury has known about this for weeks and weeks and weeks?"
    Downing Street refused to be drawn on exactly when Mr Cameron learned of the demand for extra money, saying only that the commission had published the details in "recent days".
    The Prime Minister's official spokesman said there now needed to be a political-level discussion by finance ministers "well ahead" of the due payment date on December 1.
    "It is not acceptable to have a demand such as this seemingly presented as a technical adjustment. It requires detailed political discussion," the spokesman said.
    Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said Britain would have no choice but to pay the money.
    “Of course he will pay up," he said. "These are the rules, the contributions to the European Union was a very complex formula and part of it is a measurement of your GDP against everybody else’s. There’s nothing he can do."
    Open Europe, the think tank, said it is open to Britain and Denmark to refuse to pay. However, this would likely result in legal action by the commission, fines and interest charges of 2.5 per cent a month.
    Alternatively, Britain could seek for the sum to be deducted from future budget payments.
    Mr Rutte said the bill was an "unpleasant surprise" and said his country would consider legal action.
    The payment, described by officials as a “surcharge” follows a change to the way the EU calculates gross national income to include previous hidden service industries, including such prostitution and illegal drugs.
    Britain, which has a large service sector, has had its national income revised upwards to reflect a higher pace of growth compared to other countries.
    There is already a scheduled meeting of European finance ministers on Novermber 7. Brussels officials said that it would be "highly unlikely" to organise an emergency meeting, but the agenda of that meeting could be changed.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...et-demand.html

    There are 3 types of people in the world - those who make things happen, those who watch things happen; and those who wondered what happened.

    http://newsarse.com/

    Conservatives. Putting the 'N' into Cuts.


  2. #2
    DF VIP Member
    blaggard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    South London
    Posts
    15,748
    Thanks
    1,517
    Thanked:        1,902
    Karma Level
    1396

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    Ed Balls playing Party Politics as usual, cunt.
    If at first you don't succeed.....redefine success. . . .

    Thanks to blaggard

    4me2 (24th October 2014)  


  3. #3
    DF Admin Teajunkie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    4,228
    Thanks
    1,827
    Thanked:        1,825
    Karma Level
    568

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    Does this make it another vote for ukip?
    Have you joined the DF discord server. https://discord.com/invite/YajVGQxDaw

  4. #4
    DF VIP Member Zippeyrude's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    4,317
    Thanks
    238
    Thanked:        792
    Karma Level
    534

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    All tory bollocks
    We give out significantly more to Asia in grants despite those countries doing nothing for us and some even having nuclear weapons

  5. #5
    DF VIP Member ancojo's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    142
    Thanks
    86
    Thanked:        30
    Karma Level
    127

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    Smells of a set up, he will negotiate some way out of it or some better deal for the UK making himself look good to the sleeping people! Fucking detest politicians with a passion. "We're all in it together" and all that crap!

    Class warfare - Upper (Fuckheads) class want the middle (Working) and lower (Benefit) class hating on each other so the upper class can do what they want! The big media is a big part of it, you only have to watch and read the shite to understand its shite!

    Dont like Cons, Labour, Lib Dems OR UKIP, Farage agrees with many of the Cons policies, hes running his campaign on the "Immigration" and "Euro" issues but doesn't give a fuck about the NHS, poor or the working class, he is yet another financial sector plum! Peeps need to take a good look into what Farage is actually all about, not just those 2 important issues but all the other ones that affect everyone under a certain pay grade!

    So who do you vote for? Fuck knows!

  6. #6
    DF VIP Member flumperino's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Isle of flumps
    Posts
    9,612
    Thanks
    521
    Thanked:        679
    Karma Level
    881

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    I totally believe him when he says the following:

    Quote Originally Posted by Cameron
    I'm not paying that bill on December 1
    Indeed, I don't think he will pay it on 1 December. Between now and then he'll make a big public deal about how atrocious it is and how unfair (as he has been doing), and then he'll start talking about negotiatons and longer payment periods etc. Then 6 months later after this has settled down and been kicked into the long grass.....he'll pay it quietly.

    Either that, or he'll go into the next election having still not paid it, and make a big deal about how he fights against the EU. Then if he wins the next election he'll pay it in a flash; or if Labour win, they will also pay it and blame the tories for the massive bill that impinges their ability to run the country properly.

    Either way......we will pay it!

    6 Thanks given to flumperino

    4me2 (25th October 2014),  ancojo (7th November 2014),  billynoguts (26th October 2014),  Over Carl (25th October 2014),  sinister_monk (28th October 2014),  WotTheFook (27th October 2014)  


  7. #7
    DF VIP Member
    Realist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Posts
    5,321
    Thanks
    193
    Thanked:        733
    Karma Level
    673

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    They are all tossers and we should get out of the EU quick, close the borders and look after ourselves cos no other country gives a fuck about us.

    Thanks to Realist

    billynoguts (26th October 2014)  


  8. #8
    DF Admin 4me2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    33,090
    Thanks
    1,879
    Thanked:        2,033
    Karma Level
    2253

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    David Cameron has told MPs the UK will not pay the extra £1.7bn demanded by the European Union, promising to challenge it "in every way possible".

    The amount is based on a calculation of how well the economies of member states have fared since 1995.
    But Mr Cameron said the figure set out, and the 1 December payment deadline set by Brussels, were "unacceptable".
    Earlier, a top EU official said it would open a "Pandora's box" if the UK refused to pay.
    Labour leader Ed Miliband said the EU's handling of the matter had been "cack-handed", but asked whether the government had exercised "due diligence".
    The top-up payment of £1.7bn (2.1bn euros) would add about a fifth to the UK's net EU contribution of £8.6bn for this year.

    'Vast amount'

    Mr Cameron, delivering a Commons statement on last week's meeting of EU leaders, said: "Britain will not be paying the 2bn euros to anyone on 1 December and we reject this scale of payment. We will be challenging this in every way possible."
    He added: "No one was expecting a change on this scale."
    Mr Cameron said it was usual for member states' EU contributions to vary according to economic performance and that this had meant the UK paid less in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012.




    Ed Miliband said the prime minister had to get the "best deal" possible

    But it was "simply not acceptable for the EU to make these kinds of demands and to do so in such a fast-track process", adding: "It's not just small change but a vast amount."
    At a press briefing in Brussels, the European Commissioner for Budgets, Jacek Dominik, said the UK government had had "two formal possibilities to react" and that "at none of those meetings" had it expressed "any concern".
    Mr Dominik said: "We all agree on the methodology and the elements that are included in the contributions and we simply apply them. Never in the past was there a situation that such a decision was changed and implementation regulations have been changed because one of the member states has contested and… it would be extremely difficult to do it."
    He added that "if you open this act for future negotiations you open up a Pandora's box".



    Ken Clarke joked about the timescale of the EU's demand


    David Cameron smiled as Ken Clarke asked his question

    He warned that, if the money was not paid by 1 December, the European Commission would send the UK government a letter asking for reasons for the delay. There would "be a moment (if no response is delivered) that the Commission will start imposing late… fines".
    Mr Miliband told MPs: "The Commission's handling of this matter has been cack-handed and unacceptable and it has caused consternation in a number of other states.
    "The urgent priority now is for the government to pursue all diplomatic means to get the best deal for Britain. But the prime minister must also answer whether the government has done due diligence in its handling of this."



    David Nuttall raised concerns about the overall cost of EU membership

    The pro-European former Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke raised a laugh when he said: "May I first of all sympathise with the prime minister by being taken by surprise on a subject which everybody in the Foreign Office and the Treasury must have known was coming along for the last five months"
    Eurosceptic Conservative MP David Nuttall said being in the UK would cost it "£44bn net in this parliament alone", adding: "This is just one reason people want to vote the European Union."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29784488

    There are 3 types of people in the world - those who make things happen, those who watch things happen; and those who wondered what happened.

    http://newsarse.com/

    Conservatives. Putting the 'N' into Cuts.


  9. #9
    DF Admin 4me2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    33,090
    Thanks
    1,879
    Thanked:        2,033
    Karma Level
    2253

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    Funny how you don't mind paying 7 billon our money on a fucking train.
    Lining your bum chum's pockets and your own corrupt party's.

    And one industry expert told me HS3 could cost £7bn
    David Cameron backs 'HS3' rail link for north of England


    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29779134
    There are 3 types of people in the world - those who make things happen, those who watch things happen; and those who wondered what happened.

    http://newsarse.com/

    Conservatives. Putting the 'N' into Cuts.

    Thanks to 4me2

    flumperino (27th October 2014)  


  10. #10
    DF VIP Member flumperino's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Isle of flumps
    Posts
    9,612
    Thanks
    521
    Thanked:        679
    Karma Level
    881

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    HS2 and HS3 are a complete joke. Yes having such things are good to aspire to and could move the country forward, but when the economy is in such a mess you need to make hard prioritisation decisions....perhaps like sufficiently funding the NHS so that the population doesn't die off needlessly, rather than building a train set for (what will undoubtedly end up as) £100bn. Save 20 minutes on a train journey vs a reduction in waiting times to significantly reduce people's suffering and premature death......beggar's belief.

    As for the main story, I'm glad that Ken Clarke spoke up about the big 'surprise' that this has come as. Cameron himself said that there is a 'usual' process for contributions to change. So, presumably somebody in our government could have plugged our own figures into a calculator to get a flavour of what the increased cost would be?

    Thanks to flumperino

    plug1 (8th November 2014)  


  11. #11
    DF VIP Member Over Carl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    London
    Posts
    13,125
    Thanks
    3,975
    Thanked:        1,690
    Karma Level
    1251

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    The gist I get from post 1 is that they intend to fight and not pay, while post 8 seems to accept they have to pay but the payment may be deferred.

    If we had a psychic of the month award, I think flumps would have earned it for post 6.

  12. #12
    DF VIP Member
    Realist's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Posts
    5,321
    Thanks
    193
    Thanked:        733
    Karma Level
    673

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    He's a total tosser, well in fact they all are.

  13. #13
    DF VIP Member Zippeyrude's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    4,317
    Thanks
    238
    Thanked:        792
    Karma Level
    534

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    i see this as yet another distraction. the media is full of anti immigration and eu rhetoric.

    another attempt to keep the real shit from floating to the top... camerons banky friends. these are the real criminals and thieves... none of which have been accused or charged of anything (apart from not being lavish enough at their parties when they slap each other on the back about their great bonuses ).

    2 Thanks given to Zippeyrude

    Bald Bouncer (28th October 2014),  Over Carl (28th October 2014)  


  14. #14
    DF Admin 4me2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    33,090
    Thanks
    1,879
    Thanked:        2,033
    Karma Level
    2253

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    Osborne says UK's £1.7bn bill to EU will be 'halved'




    Chancellor George Osborne's claim that the UK will have to pay only half of a £1.7bn EU budget surcharge has been challenged by his opponents.

    He said the UK would make two payments next year totalling £850m instead of a larger lump sum by December after the UK's annual rebate was factored in.
    Mr Osborne argued the deal reached on Friday was a "result for Britain".
    But UKIP said the UK would still pay the full sum and Labour said Mr Osborne was "taking people for fools".
    The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson said the agreement would be carefully scrutinised amid claims by opponents and analysts that it did not add up.

    Instalments

    The surcharge follows an annual review of the economic performance of EU member states since 1995, which showed Britain had done better than previously thought.
    The demand sparked anger across the political spectrum, with Prime Minister David Cameron insisting the UK would pay nothing by the original 1 December deadline and calling for the overall sum to be re-negotiated.
    After a four-hour meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, Mr Osborne hailed an agreement which he said meant the UK would pay a lower sum in two interest-free instalments in July and September 2015.




    Analysis by BBC's Europe Editor Gavin Hewitt

    How has the UK reached this figure of £850m?
    It has included the figure of the UK rebate which is calculated on the gross national income figures.
    The Treasury argues that it was not at all clear that the rebate would have been applied in full and they gained that assurance after intensive discussions with the Commission.
    Others argue that the UK rebate for next year was never in doubt and that a rebate which the UK would have got anyway is, in effect, being used to reduce this surcharge payment.
    It is the case that these figures were never discussed at the finance ministers' meeting today so the announcement that the UK bill has been halved has been met with some surprise.

    He said: "Instead of footing the bill, we have halved the bill, we have delayed the bill, we will pay no interest on the bill, and if there are mistakes in the bill we will get our money back.
    "We have also changed permanently the rules of the European Union so this never happens again.
    "This is far beyond what anyone expected us to achieve and it's a result for Britain."

    Rebate

    Asked how this had been achieved, Mr Osborne said the UK's annual rebate from Brussels would be applied in full to the surcharge next year.
    The UK rebate is a system dating back to 1984, negotiated by Margaret Thatcher, that provides the UK with a refund on a part of its contribution to the EU budget. It is calculated on the basis of changes in national income.
    It was meant to reflect the fact that the UK had a smaller agricultural sector than other nations at a time when most EU money went to farmers.
    Eurosceptic Tory MEP Daniel Hannan suggested the deal achieved by the chancellor may not represent any reduction to the amount being demanded from the UK.
    He said: "The EU sticks us with a bill. Ministers double it, apply the rebate, return to the original figure and claim victory. We're meant to cheer?
    "Britain is worse off in absolute terms, but a straw man has been knocked down."

    'Not a penny'

    And Labour accused Mr Osborne of "smoke and mirrors".
    "David Cameron and George Osborne are trying to take the British people for fools," shadow chancellor Ed Balls said. "Not a single penny has been saved for the taxpayer compared to two weeks ago when David Cameron was blustering in Brussels.
    "By counting the rebate Britain was due anyway, they are desperately trying to claim that the backdated bill for £1.7bn has somehow been halved.
    "But nobody will fall for this smoke and mirrors. The rebate was never in doubt and in fact was confirmed by the EU Budget Commissioner last month."

    Writing on Twitter, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said Mr Osborne was "trying to spin his way out of disaster", saying the UK was still going to pay the full £1.7bn.

    And Austria's finance minister said there was no question of changing the total sums of money being demanded from countries including Britain.
    "Whether the money is to be paid in instalments or as a lump sum is a discussion we can have," Hans Joerg Schelling said.
    "But the amount cannot be put in question. That was clear from our position and from that of several other countries."
    But Financial Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke tweeted: "Contrary to what some are suggesting, £850k is not the same as £1.7bn & December '14 is not the same point in time as July & September '15."

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29956289
    There are 3 types of people in the world - those who make things happen, those who watch things happen; and those who wondered what happened.

    http://newsarse.com/

    Conservatives. Putting the 'N' into Cuts.


  15. #15
    DF Admin 4me2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    33,090
    Thanks
    1,879
    Thanked:        2,033
    Karma Level
    2253

    Default Re: David Cameron: Britain will not pay extra £1.7bn for EU budget

    How to make yourselves look complete cunts by twisting reality.
    There are 3 types of people in the world - those who make things happen, those who watch things happen; and those who wondered what happened.

    http://newsarse.com/

    Conservatives. Putting the 'N' into Cuts.

    2 Thanks given to 4me2

    beansontoast (8th November 2014),  ZX7R (8th November 2014)  


Similar Threads

  1. extra files
    By zaa in forum PC Problems
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 21st October 2002, 11:48 PM
  2. David Copperfield
    By terrysmr2 in forum The Comedy Club
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 18th October 2002, 02:42 PM
  3. Craig David - Slicker Than Your Average
    By xdam in forum Music Factory
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 13th October 2002, 05:12 PM
  4. Has cameron lost his modship?¿
    By dingle_666 in forum The Dog and Duck
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 29th August 2002, 08:33 PM

Social Networking Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •