Friday 29 October 2010

David Cameron in Vichy-style surrender? EU budget.

Is Norman Tebbit right in saying that UK prime minister David Cameron is carrying out a French Vichy-style surrender over European Union plans to increase its budget?

Apparently, we have to go along with a 2.9 pct increase compared with a wish of 6 pct. This does not sit well with benefit cuts in Britain. Maybe Mr Cameron is being patient because the Eurozone could collapse soon thwarting the attempts by German and French banks to pass on their losses on government bonds from countries like Greece to European taxpayers.

David Cameron is not the only Euro leader having difficulties. Some 11 member countries are not overly impressed by German chancellor Angela Merkel's idea for
profligate countries to temporarily lose their voting rights.

I think I have said previously we, the UK, have to be in the Euro game to win it. A bit of intelligence might get what we want rather than implacable opposition. I suppose it is difficult to go to these Euro summits, if you are always portrayed as the trouble maker, although Lady Thatcher did not mind and some of our Euro partners
did hide behind her skirts.
If I was Cameron, I would suggest that the EU Commission should relocate out of Brussels and Strasbourg to a cheaper location such as Vilnius or Riga. This would avoid the scandal of Baroness Ashton taking up very expensive office space in Brussels for her Euro diplomatic corp. I am sure you could have a purpose-built Euro village in Latvia for not too much money.

Cameron could also propose that European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, such a talented politician, should go back to Portugal and help sort out the political/economic mess there. Obviously, these things would not happen but it might prove a reality check for the Eurocrats. Barroso wants the full 6 pct rise in the budget. I remember even the hapless John Major easily blocking a Belgian candidate for an Euro post.

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