Richard Drax, MP for South Dorset, last night voted for a cut to the EU Budget.
In a painful defeat for the Government, 53 Tory backbenchers supported an amendment demanding a reduction in payments to the EU.
They were joined by the Labour party, making the vote in favour of the amendment 307 to 294.
The vote came at the end of a heated debate over the upcoming European Council meeting, where the EU’s long-term budget for 2014-2020 will be set.
The Commission had proposed an increase in spending for the ‘Multiannual Financial Framework’ (MAFF), which amounted to 14bn Euros per year.
The Prime Minister had let it be known that he would seek a real terms freeze and that he would use Britain’s veto to limit any increases above inflation.
This would still have resulted in Britain paying more every year.
MP from both sides of the House joined together to lambast the proposals, saying that they would find such a decision impossible to explain to their constituents, who were suffering.
“We are asking our Police, our armed forces, our schools, our councils and our people to accept cuts to their budgets,” says Drax, “Why then would we countenance an effective increase in our payments to the EU?”
“The increase in payments would wipe out the entire amount we have all so carefully saved throughout the recession. How can that make sense?”
“We know that the EU is spendthrift and unaccountable. To give them even more to waste would be completely irresponsible. We should be clawing money back, along with the powers we have given away, not sending them more.”
“The Labour party has been accused of opportunism in voting with us,” adds Drax, “Particularly as under Tony Blair, they gave away a large chunk of Margaret Thatcher’s hard won rebate.”
“There may be some short term gain in this for them politically but my real feeling is that if they have seen the light, I am delighted.”
“It must be obvious to even the most ardent Europhile that throwing ever increasing amounts of money at the gaping maw of the EU is utter madness.”
“I am glad the House has spoken as one. Our job as backbenchers is to hold the executive to account. Last night, we did that. Parliament has spoken and the Prime Minister is now in no doubt about what we expect from these negotiations.”