Who's fooling who or what's the difference between a rebate and a deduction

Does anyone know?! Does George? Totally me.

I'm sure someone extremely knowledgeable will be along soon to tell us exactly how we've been misled/hoodwinked/wickedly deceived by 'this party'!

Yes.

(should actually have been 'this government' - wouldn't want any nit-picking )

A deduction at a guess?
I think I read somewhere that we were only going to pay half all the way along anyway.
Dont know how true that is.

So yes, a hoodwink is probably nearer the mark.

I got the impression that we would have got a rebate anyway - something Maggie got us? - but it's a lot bigger than it was to have been. More than is usual. But no one seems to know what it was to have been before negotiations.

Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan is quoted as saying "The EU sticks us with a bill. Ministers double it, apply the rebate, return to the original figure and claim victory. We're meant to cheer?"

The Economist says Osborne is trying to fool us.

www.economist.com/blogs/charlemagne/2014/11/eu-budget

I read in a German newspaper that the German finance minister said that George Osborne had misunderstood the agreement.

Doesn't surprise me at all, Margaret. He's always being asked to apologise for getting things wrong, particularly the statistics he uses.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tuc-complains-to-statistics-watchdog-over-george-osbornes-claims-on-women-in-work-9847695.html

Just to support what I said about Osborne. Very strange, that. I made the comment, then decided to look at today's news on the Independent website, and what did I find? He's done it again.

You might as well try and work out the real cost of an online sofa. Perhaps UKIP could enlighten us about EU finances. After all, they benefit greatly from them.

I'm keeping my powder dry until I read and listen to a bit more evidence from parties who I don't feel have partisan politics casting a shadow, of any colour. That's not a dig at any GN but a general point before I get a backlash.

It's got a few days to run I think but whether George Osborne or Ed Balls is correct I hope the other has the grace to admit they have told pork pies.

Well POGS, I quoted a Tory MEP and he isn't too impressed with Osborne's supposed triumph.

Eloethan

I know!

I said I don't want to be influenced by anybody who has a party political point to make and Daniel Hannan, is an out and out anti EU Tory MEP.

I don't wear a straight jacket and agree with only the views of one party even if I do lean to the right of politics. I just think it has a bit of mileage to run to get to the brass tacks because this is a complicated matter.

I don't jump to conclusions and call a person a liar such as Ed Balls has done. For that fact alone I would love to see egg on his face but if it is George Osborne who has the egg then he should be rightly challenged.

What worries me is that the UK is being made a laughing stock in Europe.

Does that matter?

We have always been on the outskirts of Europe in more ways than one.
I dont think that that has really changed at any point since we joined.

fwiw, I am a floater.

Saw Andrew Neil and some of Sunday Politics this morning, after the Queen at the cenotaph. The conjunction of all that sadness and remembrance followed by the shabby activities of modern day politicians was stark. Andrew's valiant disection of the rebate business confirmed that EU charges due from the UK are subject to a previously agreed rebate and this was known to the UK government, who used underhand tactics to try and score some anti-EU points. Cameron's outbursts and Osborne's apparent 'Mr Fixit' gymnastics were all smoke and mirrors, probably organised by their imported spin-doctor Lynton Crosby. Now the right-wing press has turned its bile against Ed Milliband. The Tories are desperately worried. Their chickens are rapidly coming home to roost.

Ed Miliband's unpopularity is all most of the press seem to be talking about today, never mind just the right wing newspapers!

Most of the popular press is right-wing. At least some of their dodgy journos have had their collars felt and cell doors slammed on them.

If most of the press is right wing[dont know for sure, I dont read that much of it], and the tv is mostly left wing[imo], that sort of balances things out? Job done?

Am I right in thinking that because of their rules, Ed mIlliband cannot be replaced until after the General Election?

The Independent and Observer aren't right wing, yet the Miliband crisis is on both their front pages - and neither seems very sympathetic towards him!

But never mind all that, let's just concentrate on George Osborne...