Verbatim report of proceedings

Tuesday, 13 November 2018 - Strasbourg

Interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 – Parliament's position with a view to an agreement (debate)

  Bill Etheridge (EFDD). – Mr President, I’ve listened with real interest to this debate. It’s been a fascinating cross between some people who wish to close down some of the spending, and other people who have a massive wish list of ideas – increased spending, increased government control from this level, and an enormous increase in defence spending, which is extraordinary for an organisation which was supposed to be about trade at one point.

This increase in defence spending is incredible and unprecedented, but all of the increases, all of the demands for more – much of it a good-natured and good-hearted effort to try and improve people’s lives – misses the point. At some point you will be losing the money from the UK – at some point when Ms May finally gets around to it – but there’s an ever decreasing cake, and yet there is an ever increasing sense of ambitions, desires and wishes to spend. Surely, for any organisation to succeed, there has to be a rationalisation and understanding that sooner or later you run out of taxpayers’ money.