In light of the estimated £1.7billion bill the European Union has demanded Britain pay, Cleethorpes MP, Martin Vickers, welcomed the determined response of the Prime Minister in objecting to the bill.
Following the Prime Minister's European Council statement today, Martin made his own views clear on the issue of the £1.7billion bill.
Calling the bill "outrageous," Martin expressed his discontent with how the bill was produced: the revised bill came-about following Britain's greater-than-expected economic growth, which in turn followed the tough decisions taken by the Government, facilitating that growth through the long-term-economic-plan. Conversely, other EU countries, such as France, where similarly tough fiscal decisions have not been made, and their economies have only marginally grown, are expecting hundreds of millions of Euros back from the EU; Martin described the EU's logic on this as, "penalising success and rewarding failure."
Martin also took the opportunity in questioning David Cameron to explain that dealing with the free movement of labour is the key issue for the country when he renegotiates our terms of membership of the European Union. Martin also urged the Prime Minister, during the renegotiation, to "seek to reduce the power of officials, introduce real democratic accountability, and return powers to this Parliament." The Prime Minister responded by noting that the renegotiation is worthwhile so that the people can be given the choice between a reformed European Union, or a vote to leave.