White knight

All in SW

Prescott, he who uses the English language like a Rubiks cube - is this another example or is there someting sinister going on?

John Kelly


Friday, October 14, 2005
UK may lose £3bn rebate
By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON
Deputy Political Editor

JOHN Prescott last night admitted Britain could give up its £3billion EU rebate
with NOTHING in return.

Prezza said our cashback deal is on the table without any French promise to drop
farm subsidies.

The Deputy PM told an EU committee in Brussels: “We have put our abatement on
the table. It is not the best way to spend European money.”

PM Tony Blair has stressed he will not give up the rebate without the Common
Agricultural Policy being slashed.

But last night Prezza admitted there was little hope of getting a deal on
farmers’ EU handouts.

CAP accounts for almost HALF of the EU’s entire annual budget.

It pays the average cattle farmer on the Continent £500 a year but costs typical
British households £800 each annually.

Most goes to French, Portuguese, Greek, Italian and Spanish farmers.

Neil O’Brien of OpenEurope said: “Tony Blair promised he would never give away
the rebate. Now Prescott is saying we will give it away in return for nothing.

“The Government mustn’t let the other countries walk all over it, because
they’ll only be encouraged to ask for even more of our money.”

Prezza’s spokesman said: “His statement has been taken out of context. There’s
no way we will give up our rebate without reform of EU finances, including the
CAP.”