Reply to: Why did we get the £1.7bn bill?

[OwlHoot]

From Bloomberg, a US and thus presumably impartial (on this issue) source:

2014-11-07 U.K. Fails to Win Budget Payment Cut as EU Defies Cameron

Britain failed to win a cut in an extra budget payment demanded by the European Union, complicating Prime Minister David Cameron’s efforts to fend off an anti-EU movement at home.

EU finance ministers agreed in principle today to stretch out Britain’s payment of a 2.1 billion-euro ($2.6 billion) bill until September 2015. While the accounting arrangement includes an accelerated refund, it would leave the U.K.’s overall contributions to the EU untouched.

The bill, part of an EU funding reallocation that forced Britain and eight other countries to pay more, has lengthened the list of grievances that prompted Cameron to propose a referendum in 2017 that could take Britain out of the bloc.

“The U.K. will pay the whole amount without any penalties attached or interest rates,” Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan told reporters after the Brussels meeting. “The installments will be paid over a period of time.”

Britain’s room for compromise on the one-time payment -- labeled a “technical” adjustment by the European Commission -- was limited by blossoming anti-EU sentiment that threatens to make Cameron a one-term prime minister.

:::

Today’s accord met Cameron’s conditions by rescheduling the payments to next July and September and netting out a rebate of 1 billion euros on the extra payment that Britain would have received in 2016. The accounting maneuver cuts the one-time payment in half without altering Britain’s EU bill for the two-year period.

[vetran]

Wonder how many Brits would have been "outraged" if there was a rebate and Germany had to pay

there is a rebate and the Germans are getting it.

explain that one.

[jamesbrown]

That's how its starting to look...

What I am completely flabbergasted about - is how stupid they must think we are in order for them to get away with a stunt like this.

As soon as I saw the original BBC News item (they have tweaked it since), I was deeply suspicious when the rebate was mentioned - and that's before even poring over the details.

It's a deeply cynical political move based on their ability to obfuscate by arguing that it wasn't originally clear that the rebate would apply. In short, they've received clarification, not a negotiated compromise, and that clarification is being sold as a pig with lipstick, the lipstick being a payment plan, which was the very least they could (and always would) do. Utterly fecking ridiculous, but I dare say a large fraction of Joe Public will be blinded by the weasel words. I sincerely hope not.

[centurian]

If, as above, it's as transparent as a rebate-in-lieu, he's fecked.

That's how its starting to look...

What I am completely flabbergasted about - is how stupid they must think we are in order for them to get away with a stunt like this.

As soon as I saw the original BBC News item (they have tweaked it since), I was deeply suspicious when the rebate was mentioned - and that's before even poring over the details.

[DodgyAgent]

Wonder how many Brits would have been "outraged" if there was a rebate and Germany had to pay

Stupid question of the week

[Mincepie]

Nuke it.

Much quicker.

Preferably from Orbit.

I am saving the nukes for Ebola land and Israel

[Eirikur]

Wonder how many Brits would have been "outraged" if there was a rebate and Germany had to pay

[jamesbrown]

If, as above, it's as transparent as a rebate-in-lieu, he's fecked.

[OwlHoot]

Some incisive comments on Order Order, as usual

Read the German and French newspapers over the coming days and we’ll all soon see what has really gone on behind closed doors.

Nigel Farage @Nigel_Farage 15m15 minutes ago

Osborne trying to spin his way out of disaster. UK still paying full £1.7bn, his credibility is about to nose dive.

UK will settle full £1.7bn with EU. £850m will be paid from Treasury. £850m in UK rebate (that would normally be paid in 2016) used for rest

George Osborne is a funny one, his movements seem so lifelike sometimes it’s easy to forget he’s not a real boy.

[jamesbrown]

with the emphasis on "looks like".

A pound to a pinch of pig tulip says the full amount is still payable one way or another.

All they've done is craftily disguised the second installment - It's so easy to fool most of the people most of the time

Indeed, there will also be some creative accountancy going on here.

[TykeMerc]

This is because the UK's annual rebate will be offset against the sum due.

So it's all being paid, just obfuscated (now that's a shock!!!).

[OwlHoot]

Looks like they capitulated:

BBC News - UK's £1.7bn bill to EU 'halved' says Osborne

with the emphasis on "looks like".

A pound to a pinch of pig tulip says the full amount is still payable one way or another.

All they've done is craftily disguised the second installment - It's so easy to fool most of the people most of the time

[jamesbrown]

Looks like they capitulated:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29956289

[Mincepie]

Lets stop messing about and just invade Brussels

[DodgyAgent]

Apparently, we are now required to include economic activity from prossies and drugs deals and this bumped our performance up significantly.

France and Germany are getting a rebate this time around so perhaps they need some aid in those departments to bring them into line with our current success or did all their prossies, pimps and dealers come over here.

I think Merkel arranged it just to get a refund.

And there was I thinking that our business was "off balance sheet"