Eurosceptics accuse David Cameron on breathtaking hypocrisy over Europe

Euroscepticshave accused the Prime Minister of “breathtaking hypocrisy” following the news that, despite vowing to secure a total freeze on the European Union’s already bloated budget, he has accepted a compromise solution which will see the EU budget grow by almost 3%.

This means that an extra half a billion pounds of British taxpayers’ money will be poured into Brussels’ coffers – at the same time that the UK Government is seeking to curb the nation’s deficit by slashing its spending on defence, the police, and other essential public services.

The cross-party Campaign for an Independent Britain (CIB) has attacked this policy as “an appalling example of political double standards and a betrayal of British taxpayers”.

CIB, which includes backbench MPs on both sides of the House of Commons, says that David Cameron was hypocritical in pledging that he would fight for British interests when in fact he knew all along that his Government would have to end up agreeing to an increase in the EU’s £107 billion annual budget.

Under the terms of the Lisbon Treaty (on which Mr Cameron originally promised a referendum – before backtracking on this pledge), the UK has to accept the will of the majority of European Union governments. With the EU continually extending its powers – and therefore its costs – this was always likely to mean an increased UK contribution.

CIB Chairman George West said: “The Prime Minister has spent the past few days trying to reassure a sceptical British public that he is on our side. All we’ve had from him is fighting talk. David Cameron went to Brussels vowing to stick up for British interests – but unlike his heroine Margaret Thatcher he is set to come back from the European summit, having run up the white flag on Day One!

“Unfortunately, British capitulation was inevitable from the start – thanks to the Lisbon Treaty. Either Mr Cameron knew all along what would happen or he’s allowed himself to be outflanked and outmanoeuvred by his so-called ‘European allies’. Either way, this shows poor leadership on the part of Britain’s Prime Minister.

“I suspect that the next betrayal is not long away. The EU is planning a further power-grab in the guise of what the European Commission is calling ‘a limited treaty change’, and the indications are that, once again, the British Government will roll over and play dead.”

The CIB Chairman added: “David Cameron has promised that there will be no further transfers of power to Brussels without asking the British people first. The test of Mr Cameron’s Premiership will be whether he is willing to give us a referendum on this ‘limited treaty change’, having reneged on his ‘cast-iron guarantee’ to let us vote on Lisbon.

“Mr Cameron, we are watching and waiting.”