Possibly, he said cautiously – because it is a close-run thing – the level of blind ignorance exhibited by that moronic excuse for a prime minister is exceeded only by the destitution of the cerebrally challenged Telegraph leader writer. This is the paper that has the headline "David Cameron softens on EU budget", which is hard enough to believe, as the man is so soft in the head that any softer and he would melt away.

View full article here

I've just been blogging about exactly the same thing
Its even worse when you read elsewhere that this sum of money would have kept our Harrier aircraft in service for another 20 years.

My feeling is that the time has come to say to the European Parliament that the UK will not increase it's contribution to EU funds, in fact we will actually reduce our payment in line with domestic cutbacks.
Let the buggers scream.

Richard wrote:
But he has power, if he wants to use it - or can be embarassed enough to use it. He can call a referendum about the ever-growing cost of the EU to Britain. And almost 100% certainly the British people would say "No!" But will he? Not if he can help it.

So perhaps Cameron's should be helped to help it! Unless the 40 - 50 euro-sceptics among the Tory MPs are as weak & appeasing as he is. All they have to do to force his hand is to start talking publically about what his options are. And then his treacherous cover will be blown. Not cover before the irrelevant Lib-Dem coalition partners, who he can out-manoevre any day of the weak - but before the voters. His main weakness is his long patient effort to become PM (a position for himself that he is understandably desparate to protect), so if the public are aware enough of his EU money back-sliding their continued acceptance of him as PM will disintegrate. That's where the euro-sceptic Tory MPs, & sympathetic journalists, should attack. And now!

Watchet

No, actually, he does not have the power. Parliament has the power. And Parliament, as we know, is not disposed to use its power.

Richard is of course correct. In accordance with the latest "treaties" the question of the EU budget is no longer a question that your PM (our ours) has any say over.

Nevertheless, Britain (and Sweden) is still a net contributor. Given the present situation in the Eurozone (I know, I know, if you are getting your news from the MSM, things are going swimmingly, or almost so), with the budget probably not passing the parliament in Lisbon and the gov't falling next week, continuous strikes and political crisis in Greece (not to mention that the budget deficit for 2009 has been "adjusted" to above 15% of GDP now, no mention of 2010), the Irish economy tanking, a regional debt crisis in Spain (and what will that do for the cohesion of Spain?), Belgium without a government for the last 4 months, political upheaval in France (though, so far the 10s are nothing compared to the 89s, 48s or 68s), politico-judicial scandal in the Netherlands, and so on, and so on, I cannot but agree with RodtheBrit. Say no to the EU parliament and let the buggers scream.

Remember, if the Germans and the French really are serious about wanting a change in the Lisbon treaty, Britain can always threaten with a referendum.

But, but, ... it is up to your government to decide on a referendum, and given Cameron's encephalic sogginess, the chances are not good.

Mikgen

Of course we could say "no" - and stuff the treaties. But we are then in breach. Cameron is not going to take us there.

Hrrumph! The EU are in breach with the Greek Bailout! We'd just be withdrawing our co-operation until we understood the new rules.

First rule of the EU ... one rule for them and one rule for us. We are going to have to kill them.

Lets not forget the added twist of the new treaty being talked about.

Then we kill them?

Will be interesting to see if 'the bastards' do anything in the next coming weeks and months.

Dave is not stupid. He must have been thinking he could trade the budget climb down for passing the Treaty changes without a referendum on the basis that we are not in the Euro. But it seems the Commission has outflanked the French and Germans and left Dave swinging in the wind.

http://bruxelles.blogs.liberation.fr/co ... C3%A9.html

This weekend and the spinning they will all be doing will be most interesting to watch.

Although we've waited long enough already, a little longer is no great hardship. So that sounds good to me. However, given a choice, I'd vote for doing it right now.



The question here is how will slimer camoron get around the promised referendum on it?

Oh wait, I know. "The proposed adjustment to the Lisbon Treason Treaty does not involve a further transfer of powers," he said as his nose pierced the panelling at the back of the opposition benches, shot through the wall and buggered several passers-by in the street outside.


P.S. Greek 10-year bond yields jumped up by 0.725% yesterday.

You know why , don't you? Eurostat has re-re-readjusted the Greek deficit from 2009 to 15.5% of GDP (that is from the original -3%, to -6%, to -9%, to the almost finally certain -12, eh no -13.5%), and it is rumoured that the deficit for 2010 will be greater than the agreed upon 8.1%, namely 8.9% (pffff.....ROFLMAO. Who is buying that?)

Of course for anyone who has followed Greek, Portuguese, and other PIIGS news from blogs and non-english language news media this is no news. For instance the train strike in Greece is still on.... does wonders for their GDP.