22/08/09 - UK's Payments To EU Jump By 60%

Treasury statistics show that the UK's net contribution to the EU will increase from £4.1 billion this year to a stagerring £6.4 billion in 2010/11.

The increased payments were the result of the "selling out" of Britain's annual EU rebate by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at an EU budget-setting summit in 2005 - typical incompetence from Labour. 

The latest Treasury figures also show that Britain is currently the second biggest net contributor, behind Germany. The new net UK contribution of £6.4 billion is the equivalent of £257 for every household in Britain – or 3p on the standard rate of income tax.

Britain's budget rebate – won by Margaret Thatcher in 1984 – is to shrink from £5.1 billion this year to £3.3 billion in 2010/11.

Philip Hammond, the Conservative shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: "The consequences of Labour's rebate sell-out are becoming clear.  Gordon Brown and Tony Blair signed billions of pounds of our money away in return for absolutely nothing.

"At a time when our economy is in recession and public service budgets are under pressure, Labour's incompetence is allowing billions of pounds to be siphoned off to Brussels."

Cllr Justin Tomlinson, Conservative Parliamentray candidate for North Swindon, said: "Yet again Labour have sold out Britain.  At a time when local residents are struggling with Labour's recession and crippling tax hikes, the Labour government is giving away yet more of our money. 

"This 60% hike follows on from Labour refusing to hold the promised referendum on the EU Lisbon Treaty, breaking yet another election promise.  It was no wonder Labour were all but wiped out in the recent European elections - they simply can not be trusted.''