Posted on 10/24/2014 9:08:38 AM PDT by Olog-hai
British Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Friday he would not pay a European Union bill for an additional €2.1 billion ($2.65 billion) contribution to the EU coffers at a time of increasing pressure at home for the country to leave the bloc.
Thumping his fist in frustration, Cameron said “people should be in no doubt: as an important contributor to this organization, we are not suddenly going to get out our checkbook and write a check for €2 billion. It is not happening.”
Cameron said asking Britain for a top-up of some 20 percent in its contributions on short notice “is an appalling way to behave. We are not paying that bill on the first of December.”
The Netherlands too has been asked for a big top-up, of €642 million, which Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem called “extremely surprising, unpleasantly surprising.” …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Hey, it’s the end of the year. The EU bureaucrats need someone to fund their Christmas parties!
So Britain is being punished for pursuing sound economic policies to pay off dead beats like France.
It’s a gimmick deal....the EU pretends to spend the money, but just simply reallocates it based on political games. There should be a simplified version of the EU, where they meet twice a year for six weeks, with spending and taxation are of marginal interest to anyone.
Cameron is a con-artist. He takes a tough stand before a bi-election coming soon. But the UK is part of a treaty and will have to pay it in the end.
> British Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Friday he would not pay a European Union bill for an additional €2.1 billion ($2.65 billion) contribution to the EU coffers at a time of increasing pressure at home for the country to leave the bloc... The Netherlands too has been asked for a big top-up, of €642 million, which Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem called “extremely surprising, unpleasantly surprising.”
Pushing Cameron into an anti-EU stance may have been part of the motivation, though I doubt it; it will strengthen him against both Labour and UKIP, and strengthen UKIP in its quest to take over the UK representation in the EU.
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