David Cameron and George Osborne are under pressure from the EU to allow the vetting of the budget. George Osborne was warned privately of this a few weeks ago.
Late on Monday, after chairing a meeting in Luxembourg of finance officials from the 27 countries, Van Rompuy (pictured above) announced a "strong convergence of views" on the need for vetting of budgets and phased penalties for countries breaching deficit and debt ceilings. "Rapid progress can be made. That was clear from the large consensus on all the main points," he said.
The Cameron-Clegg government promptly contradicted him. British officials insisted that the government would have nothing to do with the peer review.
If the budget vetting went ahead, Cameron would be vulnerable to charges that he had allowed crucial sovereign powers to be transferred to the WU, something that he opposed.
Mark Hoban, financial secretary to the Treasury, attended the Luxembourg meeting on behalf of the chancellor, George Osborne. He said:"The budget will be presented to parliament first. There is no question of anyone other than MPs seeing it first. Once the chancellor has presented it to parliament, it is of course publicly available."
Van Rompuy and other European leaders want budget drafts to go before EU finance ministers and be examined by commission experts. "Not to be checked in detail or to be decided upon by the European institutions - that is the prerogative of the national parliaments," he said. "However, the main assumptions underlying the plans, like levels of growth or inflation, would be examined... A government presenting a budgetary plan with a high deficit will have to justify itself."
The council president, who heads a 'task force' of officials from the 27 states on how to boos Europe's 'economic governance', will report on the plan next week at an EU summit.
The article adds 'Cameron could be in for a bruising debut in Brussels'. Not necessarily so. All the prime minister has to do is stand firm. He needs to do this to show the EU sceptics in his party that he means what he says. Will he?
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13 comments:
This would be the same EU that can't get the auditors to sign off their own finances?
CMD has made some pretty robust statements about the EU in the past.
Can I just remind you all that he has reneged on every single statement he ever made.
This is no different.
The EU finance commission will be perusing our budget within days.
Here endeth my prediction.
CR.
This is just the beginning. It's a gentle introduction to taking over the economies of those countries completely.
This is how socialists and federalists work. They take a little more power everyday, until one day, you wake up and you have council snoopers digging in your dustbins and your emails are being monitored!
I think if he does appear to win this fight, it will only be a facade. He will have agreed something with Rompey Pompey to stop the British Public revolting.
The EU and budgetary control is like giving an arsonist a can of petrol.
That's them QM. That's the group of bean counters who will be 'examining' our finances.
Well then CR, if you're right Cameron will lose a great deal of his support as we all know.
I think, if Cameron gives an inch on this Sue, that he will cause a revolt.
Do you think Cameron will stand firm though OR?
The EU, give it an inch and it'll take a kilometre.
Pro-EU Cameron hasn't got a hope of defending British interests in the EU. There will be lots of bluster and little else. Without a policy of EU withdrawal there is nothing he can do other than roll over and let Rumpy Pumpy tickle is tummy!
I'm afraid you may well be right Derek. We need to keep the pressure up on this new bunch about the EU.
"A government presenting a budgetary plan with a high deficit will have to justify itself (to Officials)..."
Sir Humphrey would have been pleased because by now he would have had himself transferred to the considerable body of UK Officials in Brussels and would now be able to say
"No, Prime Minister".
There will be a few Sir Humphries around Brussels I'm sure banned.
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