UK told to pay ?1.7bn extra to EU

[gmb45]

David Cameron is currently in Brussels meeting with other European leaders

The UK has been told it must pay an extra ?1.7bn (2.1bn euros) towards the European Union's budget because of the country's relative economic health.

The additional payment is a result of new calculations by the EU, which determines how much each member state should contribute based on gross national incomes.

It would add about a fifth to the UK's annual net contribution of ?8.6bn.

It comes at a time of increased pressure on David Cameron over Europe.

The recent success of the euro-sceptic UK Independence Party in by-elections has prompted renewed calls for the prime minister to renegotiate the terms of the UK's relationship with Europe.

The BBC's political correspondent Ben Wright in Brussels says the demand for more cash has infuriated the government and will rile many backbench Tory MPs.

Mr Cameron is currently meeting other EU leaders for a summit in Brussels.

A government source said: "It's not acceptable to just change the fees for previous years and demand them back at a moment's notice.

"The European Commission was not expecting this money and does not need this money and we will work with other countries similarly affected to do all we can to challenge this."

'Harms EU relationship'

The additional payment was requested after the European Commission's statistics agency, Eurostat, reviewed the economic performances of member states since 1995, and readjusted the contributions made by each state over the last four years - based on their pace of growth.

Under the new calculations, the UK and the Netherlands are both being asked to pay more, while France and Germany are both set to receive rebates.

The additional payment is due on 1 December.

Mr Cameron is meeting his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, to discuss how they might challenge the surcharges.

Patrizio Fiorilli, a European Commission spokesman, said the additional request for funds "reflects an increase in wealth".

"Just as in Britain you pay more to the Inland Revenue if your earnings go up," he said.

But the leader of the Conservative MEPs, Syed Kamall, said the UK was being penalised for its austerity measures.

"The European Commission is penalising Britain for taking tough decisions, putting in place a long-term economic plan and for having the most successful economy in the EU, while actually rewarding France for being an economic basket case," he said.

"David Cameron is absolutely right to stand up to this attempted daylight robbery by the EU."

"This is outrageous and harms the EU's relationship with Britain. At times like this, the European Commission can be its own worst enemy."
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BBC News - UK told to pay ?1.7bn extra to EU

[gmb45]

wtf ? so according to them we are doing well to we must pay more, time to tell them to ferk off and get the ferk oot.

[super jumbe]

So we are doing well when gas and elec prizes highest at all time, It came at the time of increased pressure on David Cameron over Europe, con pushed us in EU they can push us out…..end of story.

[gmb45]

hmm i read not that long ago that our contribution to the eu was about 12bn, so how come its 8.6bn now ? a juggling of figures to make it look better ?

[Snowy79]

I'd have thought everyone would support the idea of someone doing better paying more. After all there's plenty of posts from Labour supporters saying the rich should pay more than the poor in taxes. Isn't this a similar thing? Obviously I'm being devils advocate and the EU can bite my banger.

[rds60h]

I'd have thought everyone would support the idea of someone doing better paying more. After all there's plenty of posts from Labour supporters saying the rich should pay more than the poor in taxes. Isn't this a similar thing? Obviously I'm being devils advocate and the EU can bite my banger.

Understand you being devil's advocate and the stance of the rich helping the poor, but that is not what is happening with this EU mandate, in fact Greece who we all know went all but completely bust, have also been told to pay Millions more, while Germany and France are being given hundreds of Millions refund....................................So it is not the rich helping the poor, it is just a p**stake and gives yet another reason why we need to get out and get out now !!

[GastonJ]

hmm i read not that long ago that our contribution to the eu was about 12bn, so how come its 8.6bn now ? a juggling of figures to make it look better ?

IIt depends whether it suits the MP at the time to tell the truth or not, usually they don't so they'll inflate the cost for their own purposes.

Best tell these Organisations that they didn't need the money from the EU

https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-progress-and-achievements

[princewmk]

This is why I hate politics! Never liked Europe either but most of all this coalition government has been the worst ever since Thatcher.

[gmb45]

IIt depends whether it suits the MP at the time to tell the truth or not, usually they don't so they'll inflate the cost for their own purposes.

Best tell these Organisations that they didn't need the money from the EU

https://www.gov.uk/erdf-programmes-p...d-achievements

ah, they say its 12bn one time then say its 8.6bn another, just happens its coming up to election time and 8.6 looks a lot better than 12 come the in oot referendum which we wont get any way.

[GastonJ]

The prime minister said on Friday he was "downright angry" and that the British public would find the "vast" sum "totally unacceptable".
He said: "It is an unacceptable way for this organisation to work - to suddenly present a bill like this for such a vast sum of money with so little time to pay it.

So it's going to be paid, just not on the st December, probably the 2nd. Just Dave trying to make some headlines for himself by paying it late and probably having to pay more - still it's not like the extra will be coming out of his pocket for late payment will it, it'll come out of your and my pockets instead. Just like a tax bill, the HMRC back calculate for 6 years and send it to you *shrug* The government have known it's been coming for a very long time, so it's not sudden. Makes headlines though doesn't it, and so close to the election as well, now that is a coincidence.

If ?1.6 billion is a "vast sum" what excuse will he give for the deficit going up by some ?700 billion in the last 4 years while his government have been cutting services while dishing out money to the private sector for contracts to carry out services they've been cutting?

[rds60h]

ah, they say its 12bn one time then say its 8.6bn another, just happens its coming up to election time and 8.6 looks a lot better than 12 come the in oot referendum which we wont get any way.

I think the only way to ensure the EU Referendum is to use a UKIP protest vote, because at the moment they are the only party brave enough to publicly state that we need to get out of the EU.
The only reason the politicians want to stay in the EU is because it is a Milk Cow for them if they are no longer Parliamentary MPs then they can become one of the 73 UK MEPs who are on ?78K salaries plus expenses and the many other perks available. Just getting rid of MEPs means a saving of over ?5.5 Million per annum and no doubt when the expenses are included that figure will not be far short of ?10 Million a year.
Just to give those figures a prospective the money those 73 UK MEPs will be paid and claim each year it would pay Job Seekers Allowance for 3353 under 25s for the same period, so basically one MEP receives the same amount of money as 46 Unemployed under 25s, yet the ordinary man on the street has been duped into despising those claimants as having too much money and more or less stealing his own hard earned cash. I know which one I think should be despised !

[GastonJ]

I think the only way to ensure the EU Referendum is to use a UKIP protest vote, because at the moment they are the only party brave enough to publicly state that we need to get out of the EU.

They are the only party with nothing to lose and everything to gain, so will say what they can to get anyone to vote for them. I've not seen any real policies from them on anything other than wanting to leave the EU and they have given no indication at all how they will make up for companies pulling out of the UK and where the new investment will come from should that happen. Don't tell me companies wouldn't pull out of the UK on the back of us leaving the EU because Alex tried that and look what happened.

Again what we know is that it costs ?8.6 billion a to stay in the EU. How much will be lost by leaving and where will money come from to make up for that? Trade with the Commonwealth? The African and Asian nations have a lot to offer us, check with Zimbabwe.....

[alom5]

Never understood why we joined in the first place. We been getting raped from the start. Only benefiting everyone but us. ... has always been this way.

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[gmb45]

in or out wont make any difference to the migrant levels if thats what people are thinking, all parties want them here ( apart from ukip ), to fill the bottom of the ladder jobs in, knowing the migrants wont complain about wages or conditions.

[alom5]

Is not just about migrants mate. But all countries need immigration. .... but needs to be controlled immigration. Not every coont and his dog, cow, chicken and the lot..... and then happily sit on benefits for ever without the thought of ever working. .... because they don't have to. .... but we have those types even without the immigrants anyway.

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