C'Mon Mr. Redwood, Are You With Us Or Agin Us?

John Redwood posts on the EU Budget and overseas aid, to which I have added the following comment (awaiting moderation at the time of writing):

"I want the Uk government  to up the pressure on other member states to bring this wayward budget under control. Now is the time to win some influence and bring the EU to a more commonsense answer to their budget conundrum."

Known as one who speaks his mind, I trust you will forgive me when I say I am extremely disappointed in the comment above - especially from you, as you appear not to appreciate the real situation regarding the EU budget where the EU Parliament has the final say. As Richard North explained:

"Basically, what happens is that the Council looks at the proposed budget and agrees a "common position". This is Cameron's first hurdle. If he wants to block the budget, then he has to get a majority on the Council under the QMV procedures.

Supposing by some miracle he get his majority ... not that he will ... the next move is up to the EU parliament. The Council decision is put to the parliament, which decides whether to agree with it. If not – which would be the case - it draws up amendments and forwards them to the Council.

A conciliation committee is then formed to hammer out a joint text. This must be approved by the committee, the Council component by QMV, the parliament by a majority. But then comes the killer:

    "If the European Parliament approves the joint text whilst the Council rejects it, the European Parliament may, within fourteen days from the date of the rejection by the Council and acting by a majority of its component members and three-fifths of the votes cast, decide to confirm all or some of the amendments referred to in paragraph 4(c). Where a European Parliament amendment is not confirmed, the position agreed in the Conciliation Committee on the budget heading which is the subject of the amendment shall be retained. The budget shall be deemed to be definitively adopted on this basis."

In other words, if the conciliation committee comprising the parliament and the council (the latter acting under QMV) agree the budget, even if the full council then rejects it, the parliament's vote is decisive. It can still approve the budget, without the approval of the 27 member states - of which the UK is but one.

Basically, the power has shifted to the EU parliament, through the Lisbon treaty ... the one Cameron wouldn't give us a referendum on. It is very difficult for the Council to block the budget. As for any member state, without a supporting majority on the council, and again on the conciliation committee, that cannot be done. So, without the support of the other member states, there is nothing Cameron can do."

It is also disappointing that there is not one word in your post about withdrawal from the EU, which as a 'suppposed' Eurosceptic I would have expected you to do.

The last time I posted an adverse comment on John Redwood's blog it was 'truncated'. At the same time Ian Parker-Joseph posted a comment along similar lines to mine, his being ignored. Personally I am totally fed up with supposed Eurosceptic Conservative MPs appearing to take the 'Cameron Shilling'!