Welcome to taxation Jack.

Jack Straw is defending the EU rebate worth about £4bn a year that Margaret Thatcher won for the UK back in 1984. Amazing really as it's the first time in ages that I have ever agreed with Jack. Naturally the rest of Europe and President Chirac in particular claim that the rebate is unfair as Britain is now richer than many other EU countries and certainly richer than it was in 1984. Also true!! I suggest that this is thanks to the painful economic reforms that the UK went through that the rest of the EU continue to resist. Why should we therefore compensate the rest of Europe for our success? The only thing disturbing about this is that if the UK was an individual, the British government would have no such problems increasing personal taxes on such a successful individual!!

"To bolster its cause, the Government issued figures showing that since Britain joined the EU, it would have contributed £239 billion without the rebate. After the rebate, Britain has contributed £181 billion. In return, it has received £105 billion worth of agricultural and development subsidies." Hardly a statement that Europhiles will be promoting. Can I have a rebate on my taxes? I have already contributed far more than I will ever receive too!!