Oct 26th 2011 - Cut the EU budget

26 October 2011

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Cut the EU budget

'...UKIP MEP Derek Clark votes to cut, not just freeze the EU budget  ...'

 

                                 

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                                            UK Independence Party

                       From the Office of Derek Clark, MEP, East Midlands

                       Rowan House, 23 Billing Road, Northampton NN1 5AT 

 

Tel: 01604 620064     Fax: 01604 636002

Email: mep@derekclarkmep.org.uk

Web: www.derekclarkmep.org.uk

Oct 26, 2011

Ref: 052


 

A county MEP has said it is scandalous the European Parliament is calling for a budget increase.

 

East Midlands UKIP MEP Derek Clark has called for cuts and said EU budget increases were a slap in the face to people enduring hard times at home.

 

He said: "It is absolutely scandalous that a time of austerity and slashing of public spending that the European Parliament is calling for a five per cent budget increase.

 

"It is not enough that we freeze the EU budget, it must be slashed. To attempt to just freeze the EU budget as the Tory Party wants, is a slap in the face for all those enduring hardship at home.

 

"Despite deep cuts in public services it is just incredible that the European Parliament would vote in favour of 5.23 per cent increase in the EU's spending next year to €133b."

 

Mr Clark said that UKIP joined with other parties and MEPs in the European Parliament on Wednesday to table and support amendments to reduce the EU spending budget.

 

He said: "We did not vote to increase or to freeze the EU Budget. We called for cuts.

UKIP also voted for amendment (number 985) to reduce MEP allowances by 25 per cent.

 

"People will be shocked to hear that the total cost of administration alone for the EU institutions shall be increased to a massive 8,257 million euro.

 

"It is risible that while the EU is demanding and enforcing a national budget slashing in Greece, Ireland and Portugal, they all want to increase the taxpayer money allocated to itself."

 

Throughout the budget debate, UKIP MEPs called for cuts in EU expenditure and voted to reduce spending.

 

Mr Clark said: "To increase or just freeze the EU budget is a scandal. We need deep cuts now in the EU budget.

 

"Why should the taxpayer and everyone else take hardship while the EU wants a life of luxury for bureaucrats? We voted for cuts across the board and we are proud of this stance. The British taxpayer has been abused long enough by the EU.

 

"It is incredible that Labour and Lib Dem MEPs would vote for EU budget increases.

It shows the naivety of the Tory Party which just called for a budget freeze to think that they are going to get anywhere. The EU wants to tax and spend more.

 

"There is as much chance of the EU freezing its budget as they EU stopping the monthly jolly to the second European Parliament building in Strasbourg. It will never happen.

 

"To exert real change in the EU, we must pull out. Anything else is as useless as one of David Cameron's cast iron guarantees. "

 

About Us:

 

The UK Independence Party exists because none of the old traditional political parties are prepared to accept that the real government of Britain is now being transferred to Brussels.

Our purpose is to restore the authority for governing Britain to our elected parliament in Westminster. We believe that decisions made on behalf of people are made closest to the people, be they local, national or international decisions, which informs our wide-ranging manifesto covering issues right across the political spectrum.