First ever EU budget cut

[longfingernails]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/9858010/Cameron-triumphs-as-European-leaders-agree-on-first-ever-budget-cut.html

Unfortunately the traitor Blair wantonly threw away half Maggie's rebate, so Britain will still end up paying more - plus ça change! Nevertheless, we can't let a small discordant note ruin the history of the moment.

Note to Cameron: For once you stuck to your guns, acted like a Tory for a change, and came up trumps. There is a lesson to be learnt!

[MammaBrussels]

Still needs to be passed by the Parliament. Not yet a done deal.

[longfingernails]

Yes, and socialist MEPs are even threatening to trigger a procedural quirk to make their votes secret. Outrageous.

I wonder how Labour MEPs will vote? Miliband seems quite silent on that.

[edam]

I may not be a Tory but I'm all in favour of a cut in the EU budget - an organisation that preaches austerity - for instance, to people in Greece who can't afford essential medicines - should try living by its own philosophy.

Trust Tony to have given up some of our rebate. No doubt he imagined he could have a fat sinecure as EU president or some such after leaving Downing Street - weren't there rumours recently he was going to try that again?

[niceguy2]

What sticks in my throat about giving up part of our rebate was what we got in return. What we wanted...what most European countries except France want, is a overhaul of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which unsurprisingly benefits French farmers massively.

So his Tonyness in his infinite wisdom accepted the cut in our rebate not in exchange for any overhaul of the CAP. But we traded it away for future talks about overhauling the CAP. You'd not then be surprised to hear that the French at the talks said "Non" to any changes. In short we pissed it away for nothing.

Cheers Tony!

[longfingernails]

niceguy2 I, for one, would be happy to give up our entire rebate in return for the abolition of CAP. It will never happen though.

[niceguy2]

Me too. But I wouldn't be stupid enough to give it up for a promise to talk about the abolition of CAP!