Now that was a good debate and it came good supporting the Conservative Eurosceptic motion calling for an actual cut in the European Union budget but then the European Union ruling class wouldn’t understand living in their separate universe free from cuts and budget constraints!
David Cameron must be strong with the European Union, he cannot afford to give way, even his worst case scenario of a freeze in real money terms equals an increase of many billions from £9.2 to £13.6 billion over the period!
Well at least David Cameron can go to the European Union budget meeting knowing he has the full backing of Parliament to be just as tough as he likes and one thing that came before the debate, during Prime Ministers Question Time, was that Ed Miliband would not have been tough at all, yes he said Labour would vote for a real-time cut in the budget but he said he would not sanction using the veto, sorry ed this is the real world, if you would not sanction the veto then the European Union would get their 7% or whatever, you would have nothing to bargain with which is exactly how Tony Blair performed and gave everything away!
The vote wasn’t what he wanted, he wanted the endorsement for his policy of at best a real-time cut in the budget or at worst a freeze in value terms but he should feel emboldened and confident, also very pleased but I suppose a little uncomfortable that the bulk of the Conservative Party now exactly reflect public opinion on the European Union!
I note that Nick Clegg is alarmed that leaving the European Union is becoming main stream Conservative policy but Heseltine is right when he said that there is no point in retaining European Union membership unless you are fully involved and we are not nor never will be fully involved. The European Union need to fully integrate to survive but it is just not suited to the UK and it has no public support, the Lib Dem’s are not though a party of democracy and will always govern in spite of the people, to the Lib Dem’s democracy is inconvenient.
Another point to make regarding the Lib Dem’s, the European Union is their last haven, if they had won the AV and House of Lords votes, because of proportional representation, the Lib Dem’s would have been permanently in power in both houses with a retirement home in the European Union but thankfully that is not the case, where do you think Nick Clegg’s next job will be?
David Cameron just need to be brave, our withdrawal from the European Union is inevitable over the next 5 years and that has full public support so he has nothing to lose and everything to gain, unlike his Lib Dem coalition partners he will be governing in the name of the people!
Further reading
Government loses vote on EU budget
A defeat that should embolden Cameron
Cameron Defeated In Key EU Budget Vote