Paying The Cost Of Tyranny - UK Taxpayers To Pay £350 Million Extra To EU

British taxpayers to pay £350 million extra to EU

British taxpayers will be ordered to pay an extra £350 million to fund the European Union next year after a behind-the-scenes deal in Brussels which left the UK powerless to resist the increase.

 British taxpayers to pay £350 million extra to EU
Britain is the second biggest net contributor to the EU after Germany, ahead of France and Italy Photo: Alamy

The United Kingdom is expected formally to vote against the move to boost the EU’s budget by 2.8 per cent for 2013 – at a time when countries across the continent are struggling with austerity measures, shrinking economies and the eurozone crisis.

However, the system of qualified majority voting (QMV) means that the UK and its likely allies in opposing the increase – the Netherlands and Sweden – will not be able to block it.

Conservative backbenchers last night hit out at the increase which comes after David Cameron signalled last week that he would never campaign to take Britain out of the EU.

Mark Hoban, the Treasury minister, told MPs that the 2.8 per cent increase was an “unhappy compromise” that Britain was unable to block because of QMV. A meeting to approve the deal formally was scheduled for this week.

It will take total EU spending next year to around £108.7 billion – with the £2.9 billion increase on 2012 being stumped up by member states.

After the complex rebate system is taken into account, British taxpayers will have to pay around £350 million more.

Chris Heaton-Harris, the Conservative MP for Daventry and co-founder of the Fresh Start group of Euro-sceptics, said: "The case for reform is greater now than it has ever been.

"We are just about to increase the EU budget, and our part of that increase is £350 million.

"That would pay a year’s basic salary to at least 18,500 Army privates, the average basic salary to more than 10,500 NHS-qualified nurses, or a year’s basic salary to around 12,500 police constables.”

David Nuttall, the MP for Bury North, said: “At a time when we are cutting our budgets here in the UK, the fact is that, whatever happens in the negotiations, those in Europe and Brussels want the European budgets to be increased. Meanwhile, my constituents are seeing their budgets being cut.”

Many Tory Euro-sceptics believe the extra funding for the EU is particularly unpopular because it comes at a time when its institutions are earmarking taxpayers’ cash for costly projects.

A new EU HQ – the Konrad Adenauer centre in Luxembourg – will cost £350 million, the exact size of the likely increase in the extra funding Britain will provide for the EU next year.

Housing 2,000 staff, it will include restaurants, a gym, the latest green technology and a so-called “majestic entry portal” built on 16 steel pylons.

Mr Hoban said Britain had identified many areas of EU spending that were ripe for reform.

“It is time to cut the quangos, EU staff pay and programmes that offer low value or are poorly implemented,” he added.

The total salary bill for staff at EU institutions in 2011 was more than £2.7 billion, which is more than double the amount it spends on freedom, security, justice and citizenship.

Many staff get an extra 16 per cent “expat” allowance on top of their salaries.

The European Commission originally proposed a 6.8 per cent increase in EU spending for next year – but this was beaten down during lengthy negotiations among national governments.

Earlier this month the “compromise” 2.8 per cent increase was agreed in principle despite Britain’s opposition.

Anything bigger would have been blocked by bigger countries which are “net contributors” to the EU’s budget, including Germany and France.

A smaller increase, however, would have been blocked by an alliance of poorer countries which are “net recipients.”

Britain is the second biggest net contributor to the EU after Germany, ahead of France and Italy.

The focus will next shift to negotiations for the next “financial framework” which will set overarching totals for spending to cover the period from 2014 to 2020 – with the backdrop of the continuing eurozone crisis.

Growing numbers of Conservative and Labour MPs are supporting moves for wealthier countries to be able to “repatriate” structural funds – money used on projects designed to cut the gap between rich and poor across the EU – during the new financial framework period. This could save the UK billions of pounds.

Mats Person, director of the Open Europe think tank, said: “That the UK government risks being outvoted on the 2013 EU budget shows how incredibly important it is to get the EU’s long-term budget – over which the UK has a veto – right.

“To avoid this scenario again, in the ongoing talks over the 2014-2020 EU budget, the UK government must not only push for a freeze but for a fundamental refocusing and reduction of EU spending – and be prepared to use the veto should this not happen.

"The best place to start would be to repatriate EU regional spending to the UK and other wealthier member states. This would save UK taxpayers billions and give Cameron instant credibility on Europe.”

Views: 64

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega posted a blog post

The Latest Craze

Their demonic little waysThe news is just a biased arrayThe higher taxes they want you to…See More
8 hours ago
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
Thumbnail

A Banished Poet

"An interesting snippet from world poetry day this year to learn of the first poet excited from the…"
21 hours ago
cheeki kea posted a photo
21 hours ago
cheeki kea commented on Sandy's photo
Thumbnail

FB_IMG_1772349325558

"Good Point!  Our Indo European friends in Iran gave the devil a good write down ( and Jesus a…"
23 hours ago
Doc Vega posted blog posts
yesterday
Burbia's blog post was featured

How much money makes anyone have a god complex?

Trump makes a meme of himself as Jesus Christ. Soros says he fancied himself a sort of god.In 2004,…See More
Sunday
Less Prone favorited Burbia's blog post How much money makes anyone have a god complex?
Sunday
cheeki kea's blog post was featured
Sunday
Less Prone favorited Gordon Freeman's blog post Stupidity...
Sunday
Doc Vega's 6 blog posts were featured
Sunday
Less Prone favorited tjdavis's video
Sunday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post So you Don't Think Communist China is Buying Off the Democrat Party?
"Tragically funny how easily patriotism dissolves when money is involved! "
Friday
Doc Vega favorited tjdavis's blog post The Islamization of Texas and the Rest of the States
Friday
Doc Vega commented on tjdavis's blog post The Islamization of Texas and the Rest of the States
"Yes and they are at this time allowing Epic City, a muslim wet dream to be constructed near Dallas…"
Friday
Doc Vega posted a blog post
Friday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's blog post The Islamization of Texas and the Rest of the States
"Muslim celebration at Grand Prairie water park canceled after Gov. Abbott threatens to pull city…"
Friday
Burbia commented on tjdavis's blog post Reminder: The Bush Family purchased over 100,000 acres of land in Paraguay
"I guess with coming solar flares that sent societies underground before arrives in the near future…"
Friday
Burbia posted a blog post

'Showbiz' Don to Release Xenu Upon the Public

 New York Post says the other files will be released Friday. If there ever was a Disclosure from…See More
Friday
tjdavis posted a blog post
Friday
tjdavis posted a blog post
May 6

© 2026   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted