The first time I am furious with the new government

[longfingernails]

They are selling us out to the EU, just like every government before them.

The EU seems to be getting a big budget increase.

At the same time, if France and Germany are getting a new treaty to govern Eurozone fiscal irresponsibility, we should be doing everything we can to use the leverage to bring back powers and competences to Britain, and to derail the Brussels gravy train. Yet Cameron seems to have capitulated already, without even a word of resistance!

We need huge cutbacks in the EU, not increases. I would go for at least 95% cuts in the EU budget.

I am absolutely livid.

It was on the news at lunchtime today! (BBC news - so have your conspiracy theories ready )

Lauriefairycake I just don't believe you on the headline figures. Nevertheless, even if you are right.

What is the cost of EU regulation to British business? Several tens of billions a year, at least.

What is the opportunity cost of badly spent EU money which is recycled?

What is the opportunity cost of British money used on awful EU "matching" projects?

What is the trade cost of EU tariffs to the developing world in order to give bribes to rich French farmers?

BBC are very pro EU. They are being very 'economical' with the truth for the want of a better word!

complimentary I think the BBC gets a big EU grant of some sort. No doubt a reward for their utter obesiance to the commisars over the years.

It was the Shadow Europe Minister Wayne David who said it. Just looked it up as it was BBC Radio 5 Live I was listening to.

Heres the link link

I'm not saying I'm right (i have cock all opinion) - it's the Shadow guys.

It looks like there is a shoddy 2.9% deal.

"the ECHR is nothing to do with the EU. Whole different ball game."

Well, yes and no. In order to be a member of the EU, one is bound by the ECtHR and the decisions therein, but it's specifically for issues in regards to the ECHR.

The 'Times' 'Fear of BBC bias follows £141 million loan from EU'.

It is incredible that a publicly funded broadcaster can get loans from the EU, I think this comprimises their impartiality.

This is, I fear, another example of Cameron not really checking the facts before he mouthed off and gesticulated wildly about what he will do.

I am so pleased LFN has seen his hollowness, naivety and inexperience shining through.

LadyBlaBla

Cameron's sin is one of passivity - not doing something which could win us back powers. Maybe it's because he wants to be liked more than respected. Maybe it's because he, falsely, thinks that the EU will be more amenable to horsetrading and backscratching than red lines and vetos.

However, he has a long way to go before he comes close to Brown and Blair for selling out the British public to the EU. Blair gave up our rebate, for absolutely nothing in return. And the way Brown pushed through the Lisbon treaty without giving the British public their say showed him at his very ugliest.

In truth none of our modern politicians seem to stand up to the EU when they are in government.

Bring back Maggie. Or better yet, Churchill.

The BBC should be forced to declare their EU funding every time they do a story on European politics.

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This Reuters story talks about Cameron successfully drumming up support to oppose the budget rise.

AP saying same things.

UKPA saying same sorts of things about PM fighting budget rise.

Er... those stories were all posted in last 1 hour from reliable sources. But if people want to cling to different viewpoints and use the budget talks to promote agenda on related issues...(I really want a SHRUG emoticon)

longfingernails that would be absurd. Otherwise the BBC would have to declare UK Government funding everytime there was a story on the domestic Government and the news would just be various declarations of funding.

tetrea I think declaring all non-license fee funding, when it is relevant to a story, would be a workable idea.

I don't think the British public at large know that the BBC is funded by the EU. They should be told, so they can discount the bias appropriately.

amazed it's only just the first time...

Quite lego..........my apathy has almost set in at this stage

On the contrary. Most of the things they have done have been excellent.

Housing benefit cuts, child benefit cuts, child trust fund cuts, free schools, the pupil premium, income tax threshold raised, scrapping the union modernisation fund, scrapping all sorts of quangos, scrapping ID cards, ending ringfencing of local government cash, corporation tax cut, no NI for startups.

All good stuff.

If I was picky, I would say I was annoyed at cutting defence when they are ringfencing the NHS and international aid - but that was a fairly minor gripe.

However, this is the first thing they have done which has really depressed me.

This must have been what it was like for you lefties when Blair introduced tuition fees!

Oh LFN - I was seeing glimmers of hope til you wrote that post

BBC. News 10pm tonight. Apparently Cameron is saying he will only pay an increase to the EU budget of over 2 percent and not the 6 that Brusssells want.

Angela Merkel also wants to revise the Lisbon Treaty to take into account financial crisis that countries may face in the future.

IMO the EU will not be around in present form, in some years to come. I believe many countries will want to trade within Europe, but not be part of the EU.

Ladyblabla. Cameron has said before that he will sort out the EU, and the Lisbon Treaty knowing full well he can do little or nothing.

It is very disapointing from a man IMO who showed such promise, with regard to his stance on the EU.

The UK negotiated a cut in the rise in the budget to just 2.9% so that is a £435 million rise in our contribution. About half of the saving in the cut in Child Benefit then.

As the Treaty will have to be partially renegotated the UK should use the opportunity to have a referendum too.

BeenBeta The new Treaty will be drawn up by Rompuy. It will be a federalising nightmare.

Cameron, like Brown, Blair, Major and Heath, has rather dishonestly decided to put the EU first, and Britain second.

It's so disheartening.

That £435m could be used to further raise the threshold for income tax, or to cut corporation tax. Instead it is going to increase the EU entertainment budget, to fund Cathy Ashton's useless regime, and all sorts of other waste.

I am afraid you are right.

Interesting article in the FT today by David Owen and David Marsh saying te current Treaty arguements between France and Germany opens up an opportunity for us to get rid of the onerous financial commitments we have to Europe.

The UK went into the Common Market on terrible financial terms and its about time we rectified that.

ah, so you arent upset about whole famillies being forced out of their home or children living poverty, but you are upset about the cost of being in the eu?

I am upset we cut benefits and then give the money away to the EU. In effect taxing people in the UK to pay benefits to people who live in other countries.

I would say the same about Foreign Aid - much of which ends up in Swiss bank acconts of corrupt dictators.