Monday, May 10, 2010

He really does think we're stupid

Darth Eyebrows the Sith Lord second in command to Darth Gordoom despite the destruction of the Socialist Death Star was despatched to the heart of the Empire to support the €uro in the last act of sabotage that Labour can manage before the Rebel Alliance takes over the running of the country. He simply went there to hand over cash that he didn't need to to top up the bankrupt Greek (and possibly other States) economy.

Times.
Alistair Darling has denied that Britain is helping to prop up the euro after he agreed to a €750 billion (£650 billion) EU and International Monetary Fund rescue fund to shore up troubled eurozone economies.
After a marathon 11-hour session of talks ministers settled on the package that they hoped would be big enough to prevent Greece's debt crisis from spreading.
Under the three-year aid plan the EU Commission will make €60 billion available while countries from the 16-nation eurozone would promise backing for €440 billion. The IMF would contribute an additional sum of at least half of the EU's total contribution, or €250 billion.
Britain's involvement in the bailout could cost taxpayers £15 billion. The country was already exposed to a potential £7 billion cost under the original scheme and its ultimate liability under the enhanced plan will be a further £8 billion, Treasury officials say.
This is exactly why we should have had a referendum on Lisbon and this is exactly why we should have an in/out referendum on the EU as soon as possible. We're in the middle of a crippling economic downturn ourselves owing to the economic incompetence of Gordon Brown and we're still handing over cash to the EU despite the fact that the government is spending up to a third more than it's actually taking in! This has got to stop!
The Chancellor told the BBC's Today programme that there was "no way that non-eurozone countries should be asked to underwrite the currency".
But he's going to do it anyway.
He said: "It is a good deal for Europe and we have minimised our exposure and that is a very, very important feature of what I managed to agree last night.”
But not a good deal for the UK, not that he cares, it's not like he has to face the wrath of the nation for doing it, the next government will have to do that whoever they are.
It has been noted that Lisbon is up for re-ratification, it has been said that we should take this opportunity to have a referendum on it. Unfortunately the ones saying it aren't in a position of power to deliver this and Cameron looks very much like he'll stick to form and pretend the EU doesn't exist, at least as far as the general public are concerned.

Can we just leave? Now?

4 annotations:

Anonymous said...

What the Times article does not say is that AD had to agree to part at least of the bailout. The European Commission invoked a clause in the Lisbon Treaty originally intended to provide financial help to any member hit by a natural disaster. (Article 122)
Under this provision, decisions are by qualified majority voting, so the UK couldn't block it or opt out.

JohnRS said...

I'm sure if we got a chance to vote we probably would be leaving...but none of our so-called leaders will let us have one.

James Higham said...

Some interesting permutations and coincidences in the UK and Europe might just give us that referendum now.

Mrs Rigby said...

"invoked a clause in the Lisbon Treaty originally intended to provide financial help to any member hit by a natural disaster. (Article 122)"

Was it one of those unintended consequences or was it more a case of, "I'm sure we've got a useful law somewhere. This one'll do nicely, and it'll set a precedent too."

"Can we just leave? Now? "
Even if we had a referendum and said we wanted to leave, they'd say we couldn't and would make us vote again until we got the right answer.