Ken Clarke calls Cameron’s EU budget veto threat as ‘absolutely ludicrous’

Cabinet Minister, Kenneth Clarke

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Cabinet Minister, Kenneth ClarkePro-European MP, Kenneth Clarke has today warned it would be “absolutely ludicrous” for David Cameron to enter European Union budget talks threatening to veto a deal.

The Cabinet minister, who lost his position as Justice Secretary in Mr. Cameron’s reshuffle, has insisted that Wednesday’s government defeat on the EU budget in the Commons should not force the Prime Minister to block an above-inflation increase in EU funds as some European leaders are demanding a rise of 5 percent in the budget for 2014-2020.

Previous night, Mr. Cameron said he would veto any financial package that was not a good deal for Britain and would be taking “the toughest approach to the EU budget.” 

He has told that “at best” he would like the EU budget “cut”, and “at worst frozen”, adding: “I’m quite prepared to use the veto if we don’t get a deal which is good for Britain”.

However, Mr. Clarke told that any deal was “bound to be a negotiation” and said: “It’s absolutely ludicrous to go there intending to veto. It’s just absurd. Every one of the 27 member states has a veto. What they’ve got to do is reach a negotiated situation.

“Any government will veto it if it goes too far in one direction or the other.”

“The Commons vote doesn’t tie anybody to anything. It just strengthens his negotiating position.”

EU leaders are trying to decide on a budget for 2014 to 2020. The European Commission and several EU countries are calling for an increase in spending.

Mr. Cameron also wanted EU spending to rise in line with inflation, a real-terms freeze. Conservative critics say that would still cost British taxpayers billions of pounds, arguing that at a time of domestic austerity, EU spending should also be cut.

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