Another tory defects to UKIP

[johnny the fox]

This could work out really well for Cameron and the conservatives, if they stand firm.

oxymoron....

[Guest MattP]

it must be embarrassing being pro EU at the moment.

You get the feeling some would still support it paying 99pc tax to pay for Barroso and his pension rather than a great with any UKIP policy.

[bovril]

I don't take (many) drugs and I've never used a prostitute so I wonder if I can claim my 30 quid of this 1.7 billion back.

[johnny the fox]

I don't take (many) drugs and I've never used a prostitute so I wonder if I can claim my 30 quid of this 1.7 billion back.

 Strange cos "bucket" Bertha says hello... 

[Alf Bentley]

Who knew what and when, about the EU demand for £1.7bn, is getting interesting.

 

It seems that these adjustments to EU budget contributions are an annual event. They just don't usually involve such large sums. Apparently, this year's figures were also published weeks ago - and George Osborne knew about them several days ago.

 

So, how come Cameron apparently didn't know anything about it until the day of the summit?! Anyone with two brain cells would have seen the political significance of such a demand in the current political climate (UKIP etc.). Senior civil servants would have seen the figures and seen the significance. Osborne would have seen the significance, surely (whatever else he is, he isn't an idiot).

 

So, did Cameron pretend that he didn't know about the demand so that he could have a high-profile bust-up at the summit, as a way of fighting back against UKIP?

 

Alternatively, did Osborne withhold the information from Cameron in the hope of benefiting from a Tory leadership challenge if/when UKIP win in Rochester? There would be a logic to that, if he has ambitions. If the Tories don't win the 2015 election, Boris Johnson will surely be the front runner to take over from Cameron - so this could be Osborne's last chance. However, I've never had the impression that he had his eye on No. 10.

 

I suppose they might all have hoped that the adjustment would simply go unnoticed, but that would have been a very high-risk strategy, given the number of politicians, journalists and researchers likely to notice the demand.

 

The other alternative is the "cock-up" option. Namely, that nobody had realised the significance of the demand until the day of the summit. Having worked for a civil service department that handled stats, I find it almost impossible to believe that no civil servants saw the political significance of the adjustment or saw it and didn't alert the ministers concerned.

 

My money's on Cameron having chosen this fight, as a way of being seen to "fight back against the EU" and of tackling the EU "threat". If so, he'd better negotiate a good compromise deal (unlikely) or maintain the refusal to pay through to the election, as UKIP and Labour will surely be on his back if he ends up paying all or most of the bill in a month or two's time. Apparently the non-payment interest is very high, though.... Future developments will be interesting.

 

In other news, according to the Mail, support for staying in the EU is at a 23-year-high ( ):  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2803377/Support-staying-European-Union-surges-23-year-high-thanks-rise-Ukip.html

Now, the Mail might just be looking to back the Tories against UKIP, but the poll was conducted by Ipsos/MORI, usually a respectable polling organisation....

[Guest MattP]

Good write up that Alf, have you read the Telegraph from yesterday it's very similar to what James Delingpole has written.

 

Many many questions to answer inside the Conservative party, why Osborne decided to keep this under wraps has to be questioned, I think Osborne has more of an eye on Number 10 than people think, he's also been getting closer and closer in the betting over the last few months, about 3rd favourite now behind Boris and Teresa and was a 100/1 outsider in 2011.

 

Not surprised support for it is at an all time high though, people from all over the spectrum seem to be rallying against UKIP from all parties and this is probably a way they are doing that at the minute. (It was similar in Scotland with people becoming anti-SNP, had Labour been in power down here I don't think the yes would have topped 40%)

 

That's why when the referendum debate comes around it will be so important that it's not a UKIP v the country poll or we'll lose badly, we need all the eurosceptic left wingers on board with us and we always have make sure we push the points about the EU and how it harms the poor and lowest paid all over Europe and it's business policy will see to the NHS being privatised long before the Tories could dream of doing it. Things that would have to resonate with people.

 

We could even say those who really hate UKIP that a vote for coming out means the end of them.

 

 

Anyway better get ready for football. Up the City!

[Carl the Llama]

Good write up that Alf, have you read the Telegraph from yesterday it's very similar to what James Delingpole has written.

 

Many many questions to answer inside the Conservative party, why Osborne decided to keep this under wraps has to be questioned, I think Osborne has more of an eye on Number 10 than people think, he's also been getting closer and closer in the betting over the last few months, about 3rd favourite now behind Boris and Teresa and was a 100/1 outsider in 2011.

 

Not surprised support for it is at an all time high though, people from all over the spectrum seem to be rallying against UKIP from all parties and this is probably a way they are doing that at the minute. (It was similar in Scotland with people becoming anti-SNP, had Labour been in power down here I don't think the yes would have topped 40%)

 

That's why when the referendum debate comes around it will be so important that it's not a UKIP v the country poll or we'll lose badly, we need all the eurosceptic left wingers on board with us and we always have make sure we push the points about the EU and how it harms the poor and lowest paid all over Europe and it's business policy will see to the NHS being privatised long before the Tories could dream of doing it. Things that would have to resonate with people.

 

We could even say those who really hate UKIP that a vote for coming out means the end of them.

 

 

Anyway better get ready for football. Up the City!

Aside from that sounding exactly like your cup of tea, how do you know this?  I was unaware that the commission is going after public health services.

[johnny the fox]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-29858335

[johnny the fox]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11204405/MPs-to-escape-expenses-investigations-after-paperwork-destroyed-by-Parliament.html 

 

Yet another reason why people will vote UKIP..

[Rincewind]

Does not surprise me at all.

[MooseBreath]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/11204405/MPs-to-escape-expenses-investigations-after-paperwork-destroyed-by-Parliament.html

Yet another reason why people will vote UKIP..

Why? Have UKIP got a specific policy on this?

[Rincewind]

I did see where the UKIP MEP's attended very few meetings at the European Parliament yet still received their fees. Not a bad little job. If their are debates concerning British people surely they should attend to represent them regardless of their personal views on the EU.

Should also apply to the MP's at home too. Jon Ashworth who represents Leicester South has one of the best attendance records for debates and PMQ. There is a site 'They work for you' (?) which lists the attendance records questions asked etc of individual MP's. It will be interesting to see those that are giving value for money for the expenses they claim.

[davieG]

In a similar vein

 

Nine city councillors were chased up for not paying their council tax on time, it has been revealed.

City council officials say a number of politicians were late in paying the charges required in the last financial year.

The information has been revealed following a Freedom of Information to the authority.

However the council has declined to say which of the 54 councillors forgot, or could not afford to pay, and also refused to say how much how much they owed.

It has said that eight of the nine paid after getting at least one reminder notice.

Independent member Barbara Potter told the Mercury she was ninth councillor.

She owed £451.50 and was issued with a summons to appear before magistrates but settled the bill before the matter went to court.

She said: “I’m going to be honest and say it was me who they threatened to take to court.

"Others might not admit it.

“I have struggled. My only income is the £800 a month I get as a basic allowance for being a councillor.

“More than £500 of that goes on rent so I have hardly anything left. I couldn’t pay just like many people in the city.

“I was two days late in paying and they started to send me threatening letters and harass me.

“It made me ill.”

It is likely that the other councillors were being paid allowances and claiming expenses at the time they were being pursued for the debts and it is certain that at least five of the nine are Labour members.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said it was important councillors pay up promptly.

He said: “Councillors like everybody else have to pay their council tax on time.

“But in some cases they, like a lot of other people, aren’t always as quick in paying as they ought to be.

“In as far as I know about some of these cases, the bill has been perhaps put in a draw or behind the clock for a week or so and forgotten although it really should have been dealt with straight away.

“Councillors have family lives and public duties they are not as good with paying up as they need to be.

“Almost all of them did pay after being reminded and I am very reassured that in only one case it took the threat of court action.

“They know they out to pay immediately but like anyone they can forget.”

Taxpayers’ Alliance spokesman Andy Silvester said: “Councillors must lead by example, and that means paying their council tax on time.

“Hard-pressed residents, hassled to pay their bills on time, will wonder why their elected representatives think they're different. “Taxpayers also deserve to know which of the Councillors have been ducking their bills.”

The council says it will not release the identities of the late paying councillors because they have all now settled the bills and because of the Data Protection Act.

An authority spokeswoman said it would not reveal the details of any individuals - including councillors once the outstanding sums have been paid.  

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-city-councillors-late-paying-council/story-23855820-detail/story.html#ixzz3I0xXdcpe 
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[Rincewind]

If there is no agreement then you do not have to pay up front so the money due will be at the end of the year. There have been tenants who have been sent letters to appear in court. Went to pay the owed amount then been charged court costs even though there was no court appearance.