UK Budget Now Under EU Scrunity

Douglas Carswell et al lost their vote tonight (surprise surprise) to reject EU scrutiny of the UK budget via point 34:

The House divided: Ayes 296, Noes 40.

Mr Hoban, who put forward the original motion in support of a Treaty change, argues:

I have listened carefully to hon. Members’ concerns tonight, and I want to state yet again that the proposals from the Van Rompuy taskforce strengthen an existing framework, crucially without encroaching on fiscal and economic sovereignty. There is much more work to be done on this, but let me assure my right hon. and hon. Friends that the Government are committed to securing the best outcome from the proposals, to defending Britain’s interests and to protecting this Parliament’s right to set and scrutinise our fiscal policy. Anything less would not be acceptable.

I shall deal with some of the issues that have been raised in the debate. Does the fact that the EU, along with other organisations, undertakes surveillance mean that we will be subject to sanctions? No, it does not. Does the measure mean that we will need to follow any of the recommendations made? No. Will we have to present our Budget to Europe before we present it to this House? No. Will we have to give the EU information that has not been presented to this House first? No. Will the provision of information erode our sovereignty? No. Perhaps more importantly, will any powers over our Budget be transferred from Westminster to Brussels? Again, no. I hope that I have been clear and explicit on those points, and it is for those reasons that I ask Members to support the motion tonight.

Point 34 says this:

"a new legal framework .... applying to all EU Member States".

What Mr Hoban says is not technically inaccurate...at the moment, but it will be. Point 34 lays the foundation for further encroachment in the future. That's how the EU works. I'm not called the Boiling Frog for nothing.