EU Budget (Surcharge)

Robin Walker Excerpts

Monday 10th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

What we achieved was the simultaneous application of the rebate, so we will pay only £850 million.

[Mr Robin Walker (Worcester) (Con)]

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on maintaining the application of the UK rebate in a way that the Opposition utterly failed to do when they were in power. Would he have been strengthened in that position had he maintained a euro preparations unit in the Treasury?

[Mr Osborne]

The first and kindest cut of all was closing down the euro preparations unit, which I discovered in the Treasury on coming to office.