This an interesting one.
David Cameron is under pressure to block a demand from Brussels for British taxpayers to give an extra £682 million next year to the European Union budget.
Simple answer: bugger off matey. But the interesting thing is what was then said.
Janusz Lewandowski, the EU budget commissioner who announced the increases yesterday, mocked British comments about austerity measures.
“Someone is criticising us, I have to say the UK budget is growing this year. Is this austerity?” Mr Lewandowski asked.
Which is true, and which makes all this talk of \”cuts\” rather nonseniscal, doesn\’t it?
Telling them to bugger off is all well and good but he doesn’t actually have the ability to stop it occurring.
We’ll probably get a nice little song and dance, maybe some cast iron guarantees too and the spending increase will go ahead, without being reported in any major papers most likely.
Isn’t the UK budget going to grow at least in part due to the massive increase in debt interest payments?