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[Dishevelled Den]

i agree with Nick and others who say that the EU is undemocratic, but surely we all had the chance to vote in a party that wanted us out of Brussels' control and we chose our present government instead - thats democracy as well - in the same way that few of us north of the border voted for the tories, yet look what you lot went and did down south 

It is indeed democracy in action and the result isn't always the 'preferred' one.

I always smile when condescending politicians refer to the electorate at polling times as being sophisticated and able to see behind the rhetoric.

I consider this to be balls as I think a fair number of people who voted in the last election did so without understanding many of the issues and were influenced by information overload, apathy or tribalism.

The country certainly got the government it deserved, and that's the cost of many people being more interested in leisure activity, celebrity worship and the desire to acquire money and stature without working for either.



Oohhh - I'm feeling a bit bitchy this morning.

[Nickbat]

In just nine days from now, George Osborne will announce a package of public spending cuts more draconian than anything since the Geddes Axe of the 1920s. Yet on Wednesday in the House of Commons, MPs are being invited to approve a budget that involves an increase in expenditure. How can this be; and who is the recipient of such unexpected largesse from the UK taxpayer?

The answer, and it will come as no surprise, is the European Union. MPs are debating a memorandum from the European Commission setting out its arguments for a 5.8 per cent increase in its spending for 2011. This would boost annual spending to around £115 billion – about half the annual public expenditure of a country the size of the Netherlands. Since we are among the contributors to the budget, we pay for it. The UK's net transfer to EU institutions is set to rise from £6.4 billion this year to £8.3 billion in 2011-12. By 2015, it will be around £10.3 billion.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/8056732/As-we-wield-the-axe-Europe-asks-for-more.html

Will our MPs approve it? Of course they will.

Says it all, really. 

[Lizzie_Zoom]

In just nine days from now, George Osborne will announce a package of public spending cuts more draconian than anything since the Geddes Axe of the 1920s. Yet on Wednesday in the House of Commons, MPs are being invited to approve a budget that involves an increase in expenditure. How can this be; and who is the recipient of such unexpected largesse from the UK taxpayer?

The answer, and it will come as no surprise, is the European Union. MPs are debating a memorandum from the European Commission setting out its arguments for a 5.8 per cent increase in its spending for 2011. This would boost annual spending to around £115 billion – about half the annual public expenditure of a country the size of the Netherlands. Since we are among the contributors to the budget, we pay for it. The UK's net transfer to EU institutions is set to rise from £6.4 billion this year to £8.3 billion in 2011-12. By 2015, it will be around £10.3 billion.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/8056732/As-we-wield-the-axe-Europe-asks-for-more.html

Will our MPs approve it? Of course they will.

Says it all, really. 

I have stated all I want on this subject now, so I will depart giving this thought to all, and may be an answer to our problems Nick.

This post has attracted 19 observations / comments by OOF over 3 days; not bad, but how many contribute from the OOF membership as a whole?

In other words who is interested in these political issues?

You ask the correct question Nick, no matter what our views are on this issue:

"Will our MPs approve it? Of course they will."

Yes, they will because who, or how many, of the general public will care enough to brief their MP on what they want, for the UK, let alone the EU?!

If the OOF is a cross section of society the democracy we know today will be the same tomorrow, and thereafter!

As I mentioned previously, it will take more than a few utterances on the OOF to change anything!

 

[Nickbat]

The extra money the EU is demanding could pay for over 6,000 doctors, about 15,000 police officers or 22,000 soldiers.

Currently just 34 Conservative MPs have signed an amendment to the Draft EU Budget Bill (which is being debated today) which criticises this increase.

Let's see how the others vote, eh?

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/parliament/2010/10/34-conservative-mps-say-the-eu-shouldnt-get-extra-money-at-a-time-of-cuts.html