Cameron: UK won't pay £1.7bn EU bill

[Wat dee]

He obviously has a temporary loan of someones balls............... tnere is no way he has grown a set of his own

When's the next elections?

[RustBucket]

You are talking complete crud.

The UK can cancel membership any time they want to, it is as simple as that, because we have a sovereign right to leave.

The UK does NOT get more out of the EU than they put in, they probably get the least compared with everyone else. The British have paid in probably hundreds of billions over the years.

France is the country that does the best from the EU... The EU has been pretty much run by France and Germany since the eighties.

Stay away from politics because your post basically screams that you know nothing about European politics, so you should not really be commenting on something you know nowt about.

That is why I don't comment on the motoring forums, I know nothing about it.

Things you know nothing about seems to be a large range of topics. In case you missed the story it's related to economics not politics. I work for a respected economics research department in Thailand. I think that gives me something of a legitimate platform from which to comment.

As I said earlier, benefits through reduced trade tariffs are larger than costs of membership.

If it was in the interests of the UK to leave, and it was so easy to leave, why remain?

No one is holding a gun to their heads.

Stick to commenting on the Daily Mail stories it's clearly more your cup of tea.

OK Mr 'supposedly' economic expert.

Which EU country is the biggest market for imported EU products and then explain the ramifications of being that country under your 'trade tariff' system.

But that aside.... It is not only about tariffs, it is about immigration open door policy, it is about 75% of Britain's laws being made in Brussels by an unelected commission, it is about the EU trying to pull the UK into a federal superstate, it is about the antidemocratic stance of the EU over failed states they have been forced to bail out.

No democracy in Greece any more, and they even told Ireland to suspend its democracy.

I don't want the EUand the sooner we get out the better.... All trade agreements can still stand between the UK and the EU. We won't be frozen out, we are too valuable as a market.

If the rest of your post is as ignorant as 'they even told Ireland to suspend its democracy.', then you don't know what you're writing about.

Manbing is completely right about the economic benefits for trade of being in the EU and I applaud the EU for having an upper house that can challenge any stupid laws passed by individual country's politicians.

I'll go further, Instead of constant complaining about the EU, if only the UK had stood up to be counted and not allowed Germany & France to be the real power in the EU, the UK would have had a lot more influence on decision making. It's nothing but sour grapes with the previously defeated Germans now the top dog.

I beg to differ. It is YOU sir who is displaying ignorance.

At least I can back my opinions up with substance,.

Ireland were told that they 'could not' hold a general election until they agreed their budget by the EU Commission.

Edited October 25, 2014 by RustBucket

[RustBucket]

I thought the issue was that Britain has had to restate it's GDP figures because the treasury can't count.

Those figures fed into the calculation of the UK's payments into the EU.

All that's happened is the EU recalculated the UK payment for the last 11 years in line with the new figures and worked out the amount owed.

The UK government might have a point in relation to the deadline, but it's the Treasury that couldn't get it's sums right, so shouldn't there be some civil servant somewhere getting sacked for this.

Twoddle.

The treasury didn't get its figures wrong and the recalculation goes back 19 years to 1995.

The basis of the recalculation has been hashed by the EU commission to include the black economy to include drug dealing and vice (prostitution etc). As far as I am aware, no chancellor saw a penny in revenue from these illegal sources. Unlike most of the EU prostitution and drugs are not legal in UK society let alone taxed.

[RustBucket]

He obviously has a temporary loan of someones balls............... tnere is no way he has grown a set of his own

When's the next elections?

May 2015

[Wat dee]

He obviously has a temporary loan of someones balls............... tnere is no way he has grown a set of his own

When's the next elections?

May 2015

It 's about time.

[khunken]

Things you know nothing about seems to be a large range of topics. In case you missed the story it's related to economics not politics. I work for a respected economics research department in Thailand. I think that gives me something of a legitimate platform from which to comment.

As I said earlier, benefits through reduced trade tariffs are larger than costs of membership.

If it was in the interests of the UK to leave, and it was so easy to leave, why remain?

No one is holding a gun to their heads.

Stick to commenting on the Daily Mail stories it's clearly more your cup of tea.

OK Mr 'supposedly' economic expert.

Which EU country is the biggest market for imported EU products and then explain the ramifications of being that country under your 'trade tariff' system.

But that aside.... It is not only about tariffs, it is about immigration open door policy, it is about 75% of Britain's laws being made in Brussels by an unelected commission, it is about the EU trying to pull the UK into a federal superstate, it is about the antidemocratic stance of the EU over failed states they have been forced to bail out.

No democracy in Greece any more, and they even told Ireland to suspend its democracy.

I don't want the EUand the sooner we get out the better.... All trade agreements can still stand between the UK and the EU. We won't be frozen out, we are too valuable as a market.

If the rest of your post is as ignorant as 'they even told Ireland to suspend its democracy.', then you don't know what you're writing about.

Manbing is completely right about the economic benefits for trade of being in the EU and I applaud the EU for having an upper house that can challenge any stupid laws passed by individual country's politicians.

I'll go further, Instead of constant complaining about the EU, if only the UK had stood up to be counted and not allowed Germany & France to be the real power in the EU, the UK would have had a lot more influence on decision making. It's nothing but sour grapes with the previously defeated Germans now the top dog.

I beg to differ. It is YOU sir who is displaying ignorance.

At least I can back my opinions up with substance,.

Ireland were told that they 'could not' hold a general election until they agreed their budget by the EU Commission.

If that clip is supposed to be substance you are just continuing on your ignorant way. If you want to back up your ridiculous claims you'll have to do better than that.

Farage is an inveterate liar with a big mouth who has adopted some of the racist & hateful crap of the National Front.

Ireland were NOT told anything of the sort - someone just gave an opinion which was worthless & was ignored.

[RustBucket]

OK Mr 'supposedly' economic expert.

Which EU country is the biggest market for imported EU products and then explain the ramifications of being that country under your 'trade tariff' system.

But that aside.... It is not only about tariffs, it is about immigration open door policy, it is about 75% of Britain's laws being made in Brussels by an unelected commission, it is about the EU trying to pull the UK into a federal superstate, it is about the antidemocratic stance of the EU over failed states they have been forced to bail out.

No democracy in Greece any more, and they even told Ireland to suspend its democracy.

I don't want the EUand the sooner we get out the better.... All trade agreements can still stand between the UK and the EU. We won't be frozen out, we are too valuable as a market.

If the rest of your post is as ignorant as 'they even told Ireland to suspend its democracy.', then you don't know what you're writing about.

Manbing is completely right about the economic benefits for trade of being in the EU and I applaud the EU for having an upper house that can challenge any stupid laws passed by individual country's politicians.

I'll go further, Instead of constant complaining about the EU, if only the UK had stood up to be counted and not allowed Germany & France to be the real power in the EU, the UK would have had a lot more influence on decision making. It's nothing but sour grapes with the previously defeated Germans now the top dog.

I beg to differ. It is YOU sir who is displaying ignorance.

At least I can back my opinions up with substance,.

Ireland were told that they 'could not' hold a general election until they agreed their budget by the EU Commission.

If that clip is supposed to be substance you are just continuing on your ignorant way. If you want to back up your ridiculous claims you'll have to do better than that.

Farage is an inveterate liar with a big mouth who has adopted some of the racist & hateful crap of the National Front.

Ireland were NOT told anything of the sort - someone just gave an opinion which was worthless & was ignored.

Farage was completely unopposed on that revelation because it was on record. He wouldn't stand up 3 yards away from a man who he is accusing of what he attempted to do to Ireland. If Farage was lying why didn't Weiss stand up and oppose him?????? Go back to sleep.

Your other views are hilarious and symptomatic of the mud slinging jokers whop are trying their best to make UKIP look racists.

Well it hasn't worked for the past 2 years by all their political opponents and their little media puppets. As a matter of fact it has just whipped up more support for UKIP, so it is failing and failing fast..... Because they echo the thoughts of massive swathes of the British public, and if that is racism, then so are about 60% of Clacton voters and so will be the majority of Rochester and Strood in the coming weeks because they will landslide that bi-election also.

So if this is racism, then that's fine by me, I am a racist because I want what is best for my country and the majority of the country.

In my town, I don't know a single person who is not pissed off by the EU and open door policy and its effects on the country..... You are part of the problem...... Thank god you are a tiny minority of PC clones. Nobody is listening to you any more.

Carry on the good work of alienating the common man against your political views and driving the herds to UKIP.

Come May 2015 the elections will be close and UKIP will end up holding the balance of power in the UK and we will get the referendum, and we will be out of Europe.... I can't wait for the day it happens, because it will seriously piss off people like you, and that is where I will get my greatest feeling of satisfaction.

Edited October 25, 2014 by RustBucket

[khunken]

If the rest of your post is as ignorant as 'they even told Ireland to suspend its democracy.', then you don't know what you're writing about.

Manbing is completely right about the economic benefits for trade of being in the EU and I applaud the EU for having an upper house that can challenge any stupid laws passed by individual country's politicians.

I'll go further, Instead of constant complaining about the EU, if only the UK had stood up to be counted and not allowed Germany & France to be the real power in the EU, the UK would have had a lot more influence on decision making. It's nothing but sour grapes with the previously defeated Germans now the top dog.

I beg to differ. It is YOU sir who is displaying ignorance.

At least I can back my opinions up with substance,.

Ireland were told that they 'could not' hold a general election until they agreed their budget by the EU Commission.

If that clip is supposed to be substance you are just continuing on your ignorant way. If you want to back up your ridiculous claims you'll have to do better than that.

Farage is an inveterate liar with a big mouth who has adopted some of the racist & hateful crap of the National Front.

Ireland were NOT told anything of the sort - someone just gave an opinion which was worthless & was ignored.

Farage was completely unopposed on that revelation because it was on record. He wouldn't stand up 3 yards away from a man who he is accusing of what he attempted to do to Ireland. If Farage was lying why didn't Weiss stand up and oppose him?????? Go back to sleep.

Your other views are hilarious and symptomatic of the mud slinging jokers whop are trying their best to make UKIP look racists.

Well it hasn't worked for the past 2 years by all their political opponents and their little media puppets. As a matter of fact it has just whipped up more support for UKIP, so it is failing and failing fast..... Because they echo the thoughts of massive swathes of the British public, and if that is racism, then so are about 60% of Clacton voters and so will be the majority of Rochester and Strood in the coming weeks because they will landslide that bi-election also.

So if this is racism, then that's fine by me, I am a racist because I want what is best for my country and the majority of the country.

In my town, I don't know a single person who is not pissed off by the EU and open door policy and its effects on the country..... You are part of the problem...... Thank god you are a tiny minority of PC clones. Nobody is listening to you any more.

Carry on the good work of alienating the common man against your political views and driving the herds to UKIP.

Come May 2015 the elections will be close and UKIP will end up holding the balance of power in the UK and we will get the referendum, and we will be out of Europe.... I can't wait for the day it happens, because it will seriously piss off people like you, and that is where I will get my greatest feeling of satisfaction.

I don't particularly care what your political opinions are but you are entitled to them. But if you're going to quote what a politician says as verbatim I feel sorry for you.

The clip, which is quite old is part of a debate and none of the people that Farage was mouthing off about attempted to stop him, which is excellent debating courtesy. You, of course didn't make any attempt to look at the response to his diatribe.

To repeat, Ireland was told nothing (they did NOT suspend democracy) - you are just parroting a politician you support who's opinion is worthless.

I have a different standard - never quote a politician (even one I support) as fact. It tends to lead to mind-numbing gullibility.

[RustBucket]

If that clip is supposed to be substance you are just continuing on your ignorant way. If you want to back up your ridiculous claims you'll have to do better than that.

Farage is an inveterate liar with a big mouth who has adopted some of the racist & hateful crap of the National Front.

Ireland were NOT told anything of the sort - someone just gave an opinion which was worthless & was ignored.

Farage was completely unopposed on that revelation because it was on record. He wouldn't stand up 3 yards away from a man who he is accusing of what he attempted to do to Ireland. If Farage was lying why didn't Weiss stand up and oppose him?????? Go back to sleep.

Your other views are hilarious and symptomatic of the mud slinging jokers whop are trying their best to make UKIP look racists.

Well it hasn't worked for the past 2 years by all their political opponents and their little media puppets. As a matter of fact it has just whipped up more support for UKIP, so it is failing and failing fast..... Because they echo the thoughts of massive swathes of the British public, and if that is racism, then so are about 60% of Clacton voters and so will be the majority of Rochester and Strood in the coming weeks because they will landslide that bi-election also.

So if this is racism, then that's fine by me, I am a racist because I want what is best for my country and the majority of the country.

In my town, I don't know a single person who is not pissed off by the EU and open door policy and its effects on the country..... You are part of the problem...... Thank god you are a tiny minority of PC clones. Nobody is listening to you any more.

Carry on the good work of alienating the common man against your political views and driving the herds to UKIP.

Come May 2015 the elections will be close and UKIP will end up holding the balance of power in the UK and we will get the referendum, and we will be out of Europe.... I can't wait for the day it happens, because it will seriously piss off people like you, and that is where I will get my greatest feeling of satisfaction.

I don't particularly care what your political opinions are but you are entitled to them. But if you're going to quote what a politician says as verbatim I feel sorry for you.

The clip, which is quite old is part of a debate and none of the people that Farage was mouthing off about attempted to stop him, which is excellent debating courtesy. You, of course didn't make any attempt to look at the response to his diatribe.

To repeat, Ireland was told nothing (they did NOT suspend democracy) - you are just parroting a politician you support who's opinion is worthless.

I have a different standard - never quote a politician (even one I support) as fact. It tends to lead to mind-numbing gullibility.

You couldn't be a better person for the UKIP crusade.

It is people like you who are alienating the hung voter from you own party line, it is the huge section of non-voters, and voters on the fence who may be looking at UKIP with interest to see what happens next.

It is those very people who get offended by people like you, who continually label them as 'ignorant', 'racist' and 'gullible' who get offended and in retaliation get off their butts and vote for UKIP.

You don't even realise it is you and your attitude that galvanises the people to go up against your agenda. You don't even know it.... Talk about ignorant and gullible.

Even Grant Shapps has admitted that they tried to ignore UKIP and when it didn't work, they then resorted to undermining them, that didn't work and now have decided to sit up and take notice because they are clearly very much in touch with the voting public. That is the chairman of the Conservative party in response to the Clacton bi-election where UKIP made bi-electoral history.

You can't ignore that.

So obviously the UK ids a nation of racists, gullible and ignorant people..... welcome to the real world.

Your opinion is a joke to reality.... Whatever next?... Are we going to hear how racist UKIP are for endorsing a song that stormed to number one in the charts before being withdrawn because the singer was a white man feigning a Caribbean accent?.... Lol

Edited October 25, 2014 by RustBucket

[samran]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

[Exsexyman]

He obviously has a temporary loan of someones balls............... tnere is no way he has grown a set of his own

When's the next elections?

There is a by election coming up next month, the Tories are defending a seat in Rochester in Kent, this is what dictated Cameron's pseudo Mr Angry Response. He has to pretend that he won't pay in the forlorn hope that the good citizens of Kent, ( My home county as it happens), will believe him and not give his party the spanking at the ballot box they so richly deserve. The day after the by election there will be a different scenario. The UK will pay this (perfectly legitimate) bill, it is based on data the UK supplied, the UK signed up to this agreement, they knew the bill would arrive. From Camorons point of view the timing was a bit inopportune that's all. The bill WILL be paid. Which under the terms the UK government have agreed to is perfectly right and proper and the EU may as well have the 1.7 billion Euros. After all it's not as if Cameron and his old Etonian cabal would have spent it on the poor, or the NHS in the UK is it! Perish the thought!

[uptheos]

Whats a couple of billion more? we are never going to pay off the national debt anyway

http://www.nationaldebtclock.co.uk/

A couple of billion that could be pumped into the NHS.

Cameron is only putting on a show because of the upcoming Rochester elections.

[Exsexyman]

Whats a couple of billion more? we are never going to pay off the national debt anyway

http://www.nationaldebtclock.co.uk/

A couple of billion that could be pumped into the NHS.

Cameron is only putting on a show because of the upcoming Rochester elections.

Get out of my head!

[RustBucket]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

No way.

The tariff is fake economics that was sold to the gullible back in the 70s.

Loss of excise duty from EU imports left the then governments taking from other sources within the country. So we were already hit on 'the hip' as you put it.

Lest ye not forget the other major economic impacts on the British public being growing youth unemployment and a glut of excess workers increasing daily driving salaries down down down down, another casualty of EU membership, so we are hit in 'the hip' there too..

More cash needed to fund an ailing NHS that is overburdened as well as the education system and welfare system, that hits us in 'the hip' too.

55 million a day in EU membership fees as well as 8.6 billion a year all GBP not USD or EURO. That hit us in 'the hip' too.

Don't think for one minute the EU are going to bump up the tariff to the UK in some sort of childish retribution. That is not going to happen. They know full well the Brits will simply once again start doing most of its trading with the rest of the world. Our market is far too lucrative.

The trade tariffs WILL remain the same via a separate trade agreement... Just you watch.

In the end of the day, I remember the days before the EU, and it was a much better standard of living with much less disparity between wages and the cost of living. Britain was doing damn well till we signed up with the EEC, now EU superstate.

Britain is slowly being turned into an Eastern European state, and we all know what a mess the Eastern bloc is.

I say 'sod the naysayers'. I will vote OUT and take my chances because the current situation is going to kill the UK dead at the hands of France and Germany.

All the politicians know full well a referendum will be a massive OUT vote, none of them have for one minute ever motioned to anything else which is the reason why none of them have come through with one..... Cameron will renege (again) if he gets into power unless Labour nicks the majority in the election and UKIP will be begged by the Tories to form a coalition at the cost of a fully signed agreement to hold a referendum.

The EU and their dream of an anti-democratic political union need the UK a hell of a lot more than we need them.

Edited October 25, 2014 by RustBucket

[brewsterbudgen]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

Good post. When the ramifications of leaving the EU are clearly explained to the British public and the Little England policies of UKIP are exposed to the limelight, the self-interest of most rational thinking people will lead to a vote to stay in.

That said, if a Labour/Lib Dem coalition forms the next government, which thanks to UKIP looks increasingly likely, the chance of there being a referendum is very low.

[samran]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

No way.

The tariff is fake economics that was sold to the gullible back in the 70s.

Loss of excise duty from EU imports left the then governments taking from other sources within the country. So we were already hit on 'the hip' as you put it.

Lest ye not forget the other major economic impacts on the British public being growing youth unemployment and a glut of excess workers increasing daily driving salaries down down down down, another casualty of EU membership, so we are hit in 'the hip' there too..

More cash needed to fund an ailing NHS that is overburdened as well as the education system and welfare system, that hits us in 'the hip' too.

55 million a day in EU membership fees as well as 8.6 billion a year all GBP not USD or EURO. That hit us in 'the hip' too.

Don't think for one minute the EU are going to bump up the tariff to the UK in some sort of childish retribution. That is not going to happen. They know full well the Brits will simply once again start doing most of its trading with the rest of the world. Our market is far too lucrative.

The trade tariffs WILL remain the same via a separate trade agreement... Just you watch.

In the end of the day, I remember the days before the EU, and it was a much better standard of living with much less disparity between wages and the cost of living. Britain was doing damn well till we signed up with the EEC, now EU superstate.

Britain is slowly being turned into an Eastern European state, and we all know what a mess the Eastern bloc is.

I say 'sod the naysayers'. I will vote OUT and take my chances because the current situation is going to kill the UK dead at the hands of France and Germany.

All the politicians know full well a referendum will be a massive OUT vote, none of them have for one minute ever motioned to anything else which is the reason why none of them have come through with one..... Cameron will renege (again) if he gets into power unless Labour nicks the majority in the election and UKIP will be begged by the Tories to form a coalition at the cost of a fully signed agreement to hold a referendum.

The EU and their dream of an anti-democratic political union need the UK a hell of a lot more than we need them.

I'm sorry you don't like the real politik calculus. But that is what is going to happen.

I'm not sure how you think that a country can pick itself up being a high wage economy hiding behind a tariff wall and chopping off your largest trading partner without thinking that there isn't going to be a massive impact on your economy. Even if you think you'll get your sweet quasi EEA like deal (which I don't think is realistic given the EU hates those deals), there still will be massive adjustments.

But so be it. As I said, there will be a vote for it I am sure. Just don't be surprised when you lose by a country mile. The costs will be stacked up and people will do what they do best - look after no 1.

Edited October 25, 2014 by samran

[RustBucket]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

Good post. When the ramifications of leaving the EU are clearly explained to the British public and the Little England policies of UKIP are exposed to the limelight, the self-interest of most rational thinking people will lead to a vote to stay in.

That said, if a Labour/Lib Dem coalition forms the next government, which thanks to UKIP looks increasingly likely, the chance of there being a referendum is very low.

I disagree.

Did you forget the TV debates between Farage and Clegg on the EU membership OUT and IN'?

Farage wiped the political floor with Clegg who was trying his best for 2 hours to 'expose' the OUT argument. He failed miserably. There have been dozens of debates on EU membership this year alone, all widely watched on TV.

The 'little Englanders' as you refer to them are very aware of what is at stake, and the surge in UKIP popularity tells everyone that they know what is what.

The wider populous knows, they don't need to be made aware, I have full UK TV channels and so I know how much coverage this has been getting... almost daily.

The 'little Englanders' know the score, they are not politically ignorant as you seem to think.

You make it sound as though the British public know nothing. They even have political workshops in schools now.... you know?

[RustBucket]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

No way.

The tariff is fake economics that was sold to the gullible back in the 70s.

Loss of excise duty from EU imports left the then governments taking from other sources within the country. So we were already hit on 'the hip' as you put it.

Lest ye not forget the other major economic impacts on the British public being growing youth unemployment and a glut of excess workers increasing daily driving salaries down down down down, another casualty of EU membership, so we are hit in 'the hip' there too..

More cash needed to fund an ailing NHS that is overburdened as well as the education system and welfare system, that hits us in 'the hip' too.

55 million a day in EU membership fees as well as 8.6 billion a year all GBP not USD or EURO. That hit us in 'the hip' too.

Don't think for one minute the EU are going to bump up the tariff to the UK in some sort of childish retribution. That is not going to happen. They know full well the Brits will simply once again start doing most of its trading with the rest of the world. Our market is far too lucrative.

The trade tariffs WILL remain the same via a separate trade agreement... Just you watch.

In the end of the day, I remember the days before the EU, and it was a much better standard of living with much less disparity between wages and the cost of living. Britain was doing damn well till we signed up with the EEC, now EU superstate.

Britain is slowly being turned into an Eastern European state, and we all know what a mess the Eastern bloc is.

I say 'sod the naysayers'. I will vote OUT and take my chances because the current situation is going to kill the UK dead at the hands of France and Germany.

All the politicians know full well a referendum will be a massive OUT vote, none of them have for one minute ever motioned to anything else which is the reason why none of them have come through with one..... Cameron will renege (again) if he gets into power unless Labour nicks the majority in the election and UKIP will be begged by the Tories to form a coalition at the cost of a fully signed agreement to hold a referendum.

The EU and their dream of an anti-democratic political union need the UK a hell of a lot more than we need them.

I'm sorry you don't like the real politik calculus. But that is what is going to happen.

I'm not sure how you think that a country can pick itself up being a high wage economy hiding behind a tariff wall and chopping off your largest trading partner without thinking that there isn't going to be a massive impact on your economy. Even if you think you'll get your sweet quasi EEA like deal (which I don't think is realistic given the EU hates those deals), there still will be massive adjustments.

But so be it. As I said, there will be a vote for it I am sure. Just don't be surprised when you lose by a country mile. The costs will be stacked up and people will do what they do best - look after no 1.

Who says anything about 'chopping off' the EU as a trading partner?

You make it sound like the EU will be putting a trade ban on the UK if they leave as some sort of punishment?

That won't happen in a million years. The UK imports more from the EU than any other country not only in Europe, but THE WORLD. If you think Brussels is going to freeze out the UK, you got another thing coming.

Coming out of the EU is going to open up a hell of a lot more doors than it will close. Up to now the EU has made it very difficult for EU countries to successfully trade with anyone outside of the Eurozone.

Trust me, I tried to set up exports from Thailand to the UK and come up against so much EU bureaucracy that I gave up in the end. Had I wanted to trade between EU countries, it would have been a synch.

The EU with its superstate mindset has already frozen out as much global trade as it can with all its crazy over the top directives. Coming out of Europe will thrust britain back to greatness on the world stage.

[Bwanatickey]

This demand for payment by the EU before Christmas, it just shows how rich the English are at Christmas, that massive spending shopping frency thing over Christmas in the U.K. will no doubt prompt the EU to demand more after the Christmas shopping profits from English tills take the money.

Lovely being in this Christmas club, Yull tide and all that to the E.U.

The E.U. have just shown David Cameron who is really the pub governor, pay the Bar fine.

[MJP]

EU budget: Britain must pay 'and that's that' says MEP

Europe expects the UK to pay an extra £1.7bn towards the EU budget "and that's that", a vice president of the European Parliament has said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29769726

[japsportscarmad]

Interestingly Cameron's claim to be surprised about the bill seems a little disingenuous to say the least as one of the first things George Osborn did was sign the deal on what we had to pay, the fact they're claiming the amount partly based on the UKs consumption including prostitution and part of the black economy seems incredulous.

So Cameron will boot this into the long grass, lawyers will make money and then it will be paid, as it's what we stupidly agreed in the first place. Not a good week for Cameron but a better one for Farage and UKIP.

[RustBucket]

EU budget: Britain must pay 'and that's that' says MEP

Europe expects the UK to pay an extra £1.7bn towards the EU budget "and that's that", a vice president of the European Parliament has said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29769726

Yes.. Of course they will have to pay it. That has never been in dispute on this thread.

What it has done though has created so much bad press against Cameron and the EU as far as the man on the street in the UK is concerned.

With of course the added pleasure that it couldn't have come at a worse time for Cameron who is now hoping he can deflect it enough and drag his feet until it is long past the negative press the Tories are going to get from the looming Rochester and Strood by-election.

He thinks he is being clever, but because he is so out of touch with the voting public, he is probably blissfully unaware that everyone knows he is having to pay it.

UKIP must be loving it. I know I am.

[RustBucket]

Interestingly Cameron's claim to be surprised about the bill seems a little disingenuous to say the least as one of the first things George Osborn did was sign the deal on what we had to pay, the fact they're claiming the amount partly based on the UKs consumption including prostitution and part of the black economy seems incredulous.

So Cameron will boot this into the long grass, lawyers will make money and then it will be paid, as it's what we stupidly agreed in the first place. Not a good week for Cameron but a better one for Farage and UKIP.

You are mostly correct.

I will go as far as to say he will cynically pay the bill the day after the by-election hoping it will get buried in the humiliating defeat at the hands of UKIP.... No point in stringing the pain out, just have them both at once and be done with it.

The thing I find typically twisted was that Osborne knew about this over a week ago and the government deliberately kept it from the public until it eventually got out. What was they hoping for?... keeping it a secret till after the by-election?

Edited October 25, 2014 by RustBucket

[louse1953]

Headline is wrong,because it is edited.He said he wont pay on Dec.1st,big difference.

[Basil B]

Politics...

DC needs something on the table to prevent the the Tories being beaten hard by a party that drew its manifesto up on the back of a beer mat.

Europe will not concede, do not forget if the Tories win an outright majority DC has promised a referendum so it is not in Europe's interest to give DC anything.

[DiamondKing]

If that clip is supposed to be substance you are just continuing on your ignorant way. If you want to back up your ridiculous claims you'll have to do better than that.

Farage is an inveterate liar with a big mouth who has adopted some of the racist & hateful crap of the National Front.

Ireland were NOT told anything of the sort - someone just gave an opinion which was worthless & was ignored.

Any credibility you had (not a lot) has just been lost with that ignoramus post you CLEARLY HAVE NO CLUE what you are talking about

[DiamondKing]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

YOU ARE DREAMING

I don't know 1 person that will vote to stay in the EU NOT 1

The UK PEOPLE are sick to death of havng the EU reside over us open door immigration 500 Million pounds a day and much more

The only reason Cameron has not allowed a referendum is because he know the moment he does the UK will be out PERIOD

[mariner16]

Personally I have always thought that De Gaulle had it right 50 odd years ago, he didn't want UK in the EEC as we would only want to run the thing and our foreign policy was, and still is, far too tied to the USA. If UK is not prepared to pay a full and honest role in the EU and pay our sub's when they are due without making a political issue out of it then the EU should politely ask us to resign our membership of the club and face the world on our own, and don't think the common wealth is out there waiting to recreate preferential trade because that era is well and truely over

[samran]

No doubt there will be a referendum.

I think the little englanders will be surprised when their 'no' case for EU membership falls flat on its face.

Numerous examples of the cost of being out will be shown, and the impact on the hip pocket will be calculated from having to be outside the EU tariff wall.

The hip pocket nerve will kick in and people will look out for themselves. And they'll vote to stay in. London to a brick...

YOU ARE DREAMING

I don't know 1 person that will vote to stay in the EU NOT 1

The UK PEOPLE are sick to death of havng the EU reside over us open door immigration 500 Million pounds a day and much more

The only reason Cameron has not allowed a referendum is because he know the moment he does the UK will be out PERIOD

Look, there might not be anyone in your little echo chamber of angry old men who shake their fists at the sky, but politics is politics and self interest in self interest. And that self interest will be exploited mercilessly and the referendum result will be so lopsided it will make the recent Scottish referrendum look close.

[samran]

Personally I have always thought that De Gaulle had it right 50 odd years ago, he didn't want UK in the EEC as we would only want to run the thing and our foreign policy was, and still is, far too tied to the USA. If UK is not prepared to pay a full and honest role in the EU and pay our sub's when they are due without making a political issue out of it then the EU should politely ask us to resign our membership of the club and face the world on our own, and don't think the common wealth is out there waiting to recreate preferential trade because that era is well and truely over

Countries like Australia and NZ were mighty angry when the UK shut the door on access to the UK market and have favour to the EU.

Historian Phillip Knighly covers this episode well in a few of his books and illustrates it well with annedotes of Australia soliders who fought in WW2 refusing to use the 'others' line at Heathrow and embarrassed IOs having to deal with it.

Fortunately countries in the old commonwealth dealt with it with Canada plugging themselves into NAFTA and Australia and NZ leading the way in APEC and trading with asia - our own regions.

I think there will be plenty of long memories in these old commonwealth countries who will do the UK no favours given the UKs treatment of their so called Kith and Kin, and so they shouldn't. There will be little a medium sized small grey island on the other side of the world has to offer an asia pacific economy, except perhaps your own exiles looking for a dynamic and open country in which to live. So we will take the people and skills base and not much else.

We've moved on from toadying the UK and have better opportunities playing ball with those in our regions.

Edited October 26, 2014 by samran