Vote against capping EU budget hits Lib Dems

Vote against capping EU budget hits Lib Dems

Europhiles win party debate on European funding as Kennedy's modernisation drive hits a wall

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy’s drive to modernise key party
policies ran into trouble at his party’s Blackpool conference before it had
barely begun.

Traditionalists signalled they had no intention of trimming policies to suit
the leadership in a debate on plans for a one per cent cap on the EU budget.

The platform lost the vote after a series of pro-Europe speeches including
chartered accountant delegate Chris White, Lib Dem group leader on Hertfordshire
Council.

White said he was ‘deeply offended’ by the situation year after year in which
the European Commission presented accounts which were not ‘signed off’.

But he warned that any cap threatened a budget reduction which would be bound
to hit funding streams from Brussels vital to a number of UK local authorities.

He said the government was maintaining that the UK as a rich member state did
not need Brussels’ aid, but his retort to ministers was: ‘You need to get out
more.’ He said the Treasury’s promise to make up the missing funds was not to be
relied upon.
After conference voted against the cap, Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable
said: ‘The only people who will derive comfort from this are the Europhiles.’

Share

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Resources & Whitepapers

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata
Professional Services

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata

3y

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folde...

In the past decade, the professional services industry has transformed significantly. Digital disruptions, increased competition, and changing market ...

View resource
2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

3y

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professi...

In recent months, professional services firms are facing more pressure than ever to deliver value to clients. Often, clients look at the firms own inf...

View resource
Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine
Accounting Firms

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

3y

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

In a world of instant results and automated workloads, the potential for AP to drive insights and transform results is enormous. But, if you’re still ...

View resource
Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021
Making Tax Digital

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

3y

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

The first phase of Making Tax Digital (MTD) saw the requirement for the digital submission of the VAT Return using compliant software. That’s now behi...

View resource