[Northern Monkey]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29754168

Smart move on his part.
If he gave in to this he would be playing right into UKIP hands imo.

[Creggle]

Good reason to leave the sh1te.

[user104658]

Posturing. He has every intention of paying up, he just can't be seen to be giving in easily.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Posturing. He has every intention of paying up, he just can't be seen to be giving in easily.

Yes,My thoughts too.Politically he would've been foolish to accept this without challenging it.

[MTVN]

He should pay up really, there is a logic to the increase which is that we've been underpaying for years and it's our government that has re-evaluated the size of our economy and thus means we should be paying more.

I'd like Cameron and the Tories as a whole to stop trying to appease the Eurosceptics, supposedly he believes in the EU in principle but all we ever hear is him criticising it and highlighting its negatives rather than its positives - that's what plays into Ukip's hands and risks making the Conservatives just look like Ukip-lite.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by MTVN

He should pay up really, there is a logic to the increase which is that we've been underpaying for years and it's our government that has re-evaluated the size of our economy and thus means we should be paying more.

I'd like Cameron and the Tories as a whole to stop trying to appease the Eurosceptics, supposedly he believes in the EU in principle but all we ever hear is him criticising it and highlighting its negatives rather than its positives - that's what plays into Ukip's hands and risks making the Conservatives just look like Ukip-lite.

He's kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.I agree he is looking like a "UKIP-lite" but if he goes the way of Labour and goes full on pro EU he leaves UKIP as the ONLY option for Euro skeptics who are growing in number.

[Livia]

The figure is up for negotiation, it always was. No way should we pay while France and Germany get a rebate. And where the hell do they think Greece are going to find the cash the EU imagine they owe them? They're on their knees financially. It's ridiculous, ill-timed and yet another reason to have an in/out referendum. I know where my vote will go.

[Creggle]

Originally Posted by Livia

The figure is up for negotiation, it always was. No way should we pay while France and Germany get a rebate. And where the hell do they think Greece are going to find the cash the EU imagine they owe them? They're on their knees financially. It'd ridiculous, and yet another reason to have an in/out referendum. I know where my vote will go.

!!!

[rubymoo]

Good I don't think we should pay......but we all know he will......pathetic!

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by EyeballPaul

He's kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.I agree he is looking like a "UKIP-lite" but if he goes the way of Labour and goes full on pro EU he leaves UKIP as the ONLY option for Euro skeptics who are growing in number.

I don't necessarily think he should give unqualified support to the EU, I actually think his fundamental policy on Europe is fairly sound in attempting to renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership before having a referendum. But he obviously believes in the EU in principle and thinks it can be a force for good but never stresses this. All we do see is the anti-EU posturing where he seems determined to constantly put himself on a collision course with the other member states and continually deny the consensus within the EU on anything. Doing so sort of fuels the Eurosceptic hysteria where everything is the fault of Brussels, where every EU related story gets twisted into some sort of attack on British sovereignty. Makes me worry that Cameron is inadvertently steering us out of the EU regardless of the concessions that he might secure from Brussels if he does win the next election (a very big if I know)

[Liam-]

Originally Posted by Livia

The figure is up for negotiation, it always was. No way should we pay while France and Germany get a rebate. And where the hell do they think Greece are going to find the cash the EU imagine they owe them? They're on their knees financially. It's ridiculous, ill-timed and yet another reason to have an in/out referendum. I know where my vote will go.

Exactly this and i also know where my vote would be going if that referendum ever comes around.

[bots]

His government departments have known about the figure for months. Its all a little too convenient for me that "Cameron takes a stand" in the run up to an important by election where UKIP are likely to win. The British public are being played for fools

[Livia]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

His government departments have known about the figure for months. Its all a little too convenient for me that "Cameron takes a stand" in the run up to an important by election where UKIP are likely to win. The British public are being played for fools

Not true. The Government were informed last week.

It doesn't play into the Tories hands at all, coming at the worst possible time for Cameron with an important by election in November and adding fuel to UKIP's fire.

[bots]

Originally Posted by Livia

Not true. The Government were informed last week.

It doesn't play into the Tories hands at all, coming at the worst possible time for Cameron with an important by election in November and adding fuel to UKIP's fire.

Its a pre-determined formula that uses the governments own figures on how well the economy did, so it is true, it was his own government departments that supplied the EU with the numbers that resulted in the adjustment.

former Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke raised a laugh when he said: "May I first of all sympathise with the prime minister by being taken by surprise on a subject which everybody in the Foreign Office and the Treasury must have known was coming along for the last five months"

[Livia]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

Its a pre-determined formula that uses the governments own figures on how well the economy did, so it is true, it was his own government departments that supplied the EU with the numbers that resulted in the adjustment.

former Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke raised a laugh when he said: "May I first of all sympathise with the prime minister by being taken by surprise on a subject which everybody in the Foreign Office and the Treasury must have known was coming along for the last five months"

This is a payment required for an alleged underpayment that goes back decades, so by saying the government knew, presumably you meant all previous governments have always known.

And Ken Clarke never misses an opportunity to prove to us that his hindsight is 20/20.

[joeysteele]

I don't agree with paying more to the EU,especially at this time when although we are in recovery 'at last', it is far from being an assured one.

However we do not just pay in to the EU we do get funding back too which we rarely if ever hear about.
I am fed up of this Govt. and this PM procrastinating as to the EU, this PM has harped on for over 2 years now as to re-negotiation and getting the EU issue settled once and for all.
He leaves it a whole 2+ years and then says he will, if he gets an overall majority, re-negotiate with the EU and do so for another 2 years and then hopefully hold a referendum in 2017.

What a waste of space he is and he knows full well he will never get a referendum bill through parliament because he will never get an overall majority big enough to do so.

He is a disaster for the UK, he has almost presided over the break up of the UK and his procrastination and dire leadership as to the EU could see the UK sleepwalk out of Europe, which overall, in my view, would be a massive disaster for the UK.
It would cause massive and new tensions with Scotland after voting to remain in the UK too.

I wouldn't trust this PM with going to the bakers for half a dozen buns let alone trust him with the UK out of the EU.
He is conning the electorate as to the EU and his problems with UKIP now because of his stance on the EU, are his own doing and are a result of his really poor leadership, both as a party leader and even worse as a Prime Minister.

[Kizzy]

Just pay up and stop bluffing to appease the fools that want us to leave and have no rights at all.