UK to pay £1.7bn EU bill in full despite Osborne’s claim to have halved it

by Irn Bru Fri Nov 07, 2014 8:36 pm

The government has accepted a £1.7bn top-up bill to the EU budget despite repeatedly denouncing its size as unacceptable.

George Osborne, the chancellor, has won a respite, however – avoiding a 1 December deadline and deferring the payment interest-free until next September, well after the general election.

Britain’s automatic rebate on its contributions to the EU budget was expected to knock €1bn off the demand for €2.1bn, leading the chancellor to brag that he had halved the payment.

“Instead of footing the bill, we’ve halved the bill,” he said following a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels and talks with the European commission vice-president in charge of budgetary affairs, Kristalina Georgieva.

The chancellor asserted that a bill for £1.7bn was now one for £850m – to be paid by 1 September next year in two instalments, one by the deadline, the other in July.

While insisting that the invoice had been reduced, Treasury aides conceded that Britain will pay the £850m while also returning the rebate cheque to Brussels, meaning that the full £1.7bn will still be paid.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/07/uk-pays-full-eu-rebate-despite-osborne-claim-he-halved-it

Oh dear, poor we George has been caught out telling porkies by not revealing the full details of the deal. Good news is of course that we're getting to pay it up cheers

meaning the next government has to find the money.

So if you got a big huge tax bill in from HMRC tell them it has come as a surprise and ask for a payment plan to be put in place where can delay it until next year.

Wonderful news Laughing

by Tommy Monk Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:03 pm

And what would labour have done...???

All this talk is just trying to prevent people from wanting to leave the EU.

Doesn't matter if it's labour. Tory or lib dems, they are all pro EU And while any of them have any say we will never get out of the corrupt dictatorship.

Vote UKIP!!!

by Guest Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:06 pm

Tommy Monk wrote:And what would labour have done...???

paid it twice and instantly...just to look good

All this talk is just trying to prevent people from wanting to leave the EU.

Doesn't matter if it's labour. Tory or lib dems, they are all pro EU And while any of them have any say we will never get out of the corrupt dictatorship.

Vote UKIP!!!

by Irn Bru Fri Nov 07, 2014 9:10 pm

Well it is all Labour's fault for the economy and the growth figures being so much better than all the others in the EU that this has come about.

Laughing

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UK to pay £1.7bn EU bill in full despite Osborne’s claim to have halved it

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Re: UK to pay £1.7bn EU bill in full despite Osborne’s claim to have halved it

Re: UK to pay £1.7bn EU bill in full despite Osborne’s claim to have halved it