Go for it Blair

[Colonâ„¢]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Not quite. The rebate is linked with UK's relative poverty during the 80ies. Blair made it look like it is linked to the CAP, which was a brilliant move. However, it doesn't make it true (the CAP is now twice less important in the EU's budget than in 1984, and the rebate is calculated all the same).

I'd argue it is linked to the CAP, since the relative strength of French agriculture implies that British money will largely head to France.

[Sandman]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Not quite. The rebate is linked with UK's relative poverty during the 80ies. Blair made it look like it is linked to the CAP, which was a brilliant move. However, it doesn't make it true (the CAP is now twice less important in the EU's budget than in 1984, and the rebate is calculated all the same).

A country suffering from relative poverty shouldn't have to demand a rebate; the rebate is a consequence of the EU's broken spending policies, and the CAP is the main reason the spending policies are broken.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by C0ckney
maybe it's just me, but france's 'concession' of raising their retirement age in exchange for the CAP, sounds a bit like me agreeing with my neighbour that he'll keep paying me £100 if i'll mow my lawn.

Thats an analogy, right?

[C0ckney]

[Drake Tungsten]

"Some have suggested I want to abandon Europe's social model," Blair told the European Parliament last month. "But tell me: what type of social model is it that has 20 million unemployed in Europe, productivity rates falling behind those of the United States; that is allowing more science graduates to be produced by India than by Europe; and that, on any relative index of a modern economy -- skills, R&D, patents, IT -- is going down not up."

http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20050704-123546-6945r.htm

[Colonâ„¢]

Go! Go! Go!

[TheStinger]

The rebate is there in part becasue we trade more with non eu countries and revenue is raised in part from trade levies