As If Paying 1.7 Billion Extra Isn't Enough

[ChillDoubt]

they've added a stinger too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29886824

One feels that the longer this drags on, one way or another it will define DC's outcome in the election next May.

[jim360]

In recent weeks I've begun to wonder if the EU is trying to get us to leave...

[agchristie]

Is this just interest or is there some other 'penalty' they were originally talking about?

Jim, you could be right, ironically, if this were to happen it could be that the EU boosts Cameron's rating at home!

[ChillDoubt]

I'd say they're positively ENCOURAGING it jim!
Looks like they're squeezing us until the pips squeak and want their ill-gotten gains before we extricate ourselves.

[-Talbot-]

'The £1.7bn is based on a calculation of how well the economies of member states have fared since 1995.'



Now I'm confused. 1995 to 2014...Haven't Labour been in government at least twice as long as the Conservatives during that period?

Have the Cons done exceptionally well when in charge or was the Labour term not has disastrous as we are led to believe by the AB analysts?

[BlackadderV]

I think that secretly the powers that be in the EU have resigned themselves to the fact that if the next UK government is Tory or Tory-led, then it's bye bye, so are desperately trying to filch from us before they get the two digits.

[Gromit]

That is not the defining moment of Cameron's Tenure at No.10.

The half a trillion pounds the Coalition have borrowed since they came to power will be the defining moment. They have borrowed more in 4 years than every Labour Government put together has ever borrowed.

The £3.4Million is chicken feed compared to the £3.1 BILLION a month interest we pay on our national debt.

http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2014/06/17/the-coalition-will-leave-more-debt-than-all-labour-governmen

[Gromit]

-Talbot

Nothing has really changed to our economy from the ladt Labour Government to the present Coalition one.

It is the way of accounting that has changed. The new way of accessing our economic activity now includes illicit trades. Other countries have been including them for years, but we haven't. If you include the black economy, we are doing £10 billion more economic activity than we have been declaring. So we are liable to pay more 'tax' on that.

[sandyRoe]

Does illicit trades mean drug dealers and sex workers?

[ABerrant]

The European Commission instigated a policy of imposing periodic penalty payments in addition to a lump sum for non-compliance with Community law because the French failed to meet their obligations for 14 years after having received a non-compliance judgement in 1991 (the non-compliance originally having started in 1984).

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-05-482_en.htm?locale=FR

[janbee]

Cammy will pay it. After a lost of hot air and bluster, he will pay it. Come election time though, it'll be bye bye Brussels Boy xx

[youngmafbog]

// £3.1 BILLION a month interest we pay on our national debt.//

And who built that up the Gromit?

We have been struggling with a depression and a massive debt to service coutesy of labour (for the debt). The tories are also saddled with the Liberals so canot make the draconian cuts needed to bring that debt down.

And no doubt if they had you would then be bleating about that. You can't have it both ways so come clear to us, debt or cuts, which is your preference?

As for the EU, their behavior seems to be getting more and more irrational. Very odd since the hatred of the EU is also across Europe.

I suspect, as others on here have suggested they are preparing for the possibility of it breaking up (not just the UK) and trying to collect as much as possible before it does to reduce Germany's potential debt.

It certainly is not the way to persuade a people to stay!

[ChillDoubt]

Don't know if the 'not defining moment of tenure at No 10' was aimed at me but I was never claiming it was anyway.
I was claiming that this single issue and the time DC has left will define the outcome of his election.
If he pays the 1.7 billion(as he knows he must) he will be scuppered.

[Gromit]

// £3.1 BILLION a month interest we pay on our national debt.//
// And who built that up //

Well mainly the coalition. They have borrowed more than every other Labour Government ever, combined. They have added more than half a trillion pounds in 4 years. That is why we pay over £35billion annual interest.

[jackthehat]

I agree with Jim360.

It seems to be a comparable situation where you've decided that you no longer want to go out with your current girl/boyfriend and so start behaving badly in the hopes that they'll chuck you instead of you having to be the one to give them the push.....

[Gromit]

ChillDoubt
Cameron's policy on Europe is in tatters.
The Policy is to renegociate our membership. Except the EU will not let him do that, and the electorate don't believe he can do it. UKIP will exploit that and the Conservatives will ge scuppered at the election, if Europe is a big issue*

* which it might not be.

[youngmafbog]

Gromit
In 1997 Labour inherited a budget that was actually in balance. Tthanks to the Tories, the public finances had finally been brought under control. But after four years in office Gordon Brown took out the country's credit card and let rip. By the end of 2009-10 our annual deficit had ballooned to £170.8 billion.

We were left with nothing, the cupboard was bare (labours words) and stuck in a recession meaning tax revenues were falling.

Options: Fire the majority of Government employees, stop buying defence and any Government building.

2. Phase it dow so as not to impact an already failing economy.

3. Keep the spend going and going

The only option is 2. In my opinion they didnt cut deep enough but then the Tories were shacked by the liberals. Using option 2 thought the amount of money to service that debt exeeds income. To stimulate the economy(perhaps you think they should not have done this) they ahd to borrow.

Whichever way you cut this Gromit your beloved New labour started the ball roilling and got it going very fast before the coalition got in.

[youngmafbog]

And also lets remember the accounting changes moving Labours hidden debt into the open, you yourself have highlighted the 34 BILLION added due to Rail track debts.

[Bazile]

//Prime Minister David Cameron has said the UK will not meet the 1 December deadline set by Brussels and has no intention of paying the full amount.//

When this demand for 1.7billion first broke on the news - i recall Cameron stating quite unequivocally , that he was not going to pay it .

So now what - it has changed to we will pay some of it ?

[jourdain2]

I suspect Jim360 is right - we are too much of a thorn in the side now and we encourage other eurosceptical parties. Been wondering about that for a while.