European Budgets 2014 to 2020

Part of Internet Regulation (Material Inciting Gang Violence) – in the House of Commons at 4:52 pm on 8 November 2011.

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Photo of Denis MacShane Denis MacShane Labour, Rotherham 4:52, 8 November 2011

No, because I want to conclude.

This is not just a European question. The signal we are sending around the world is that we are open to business but are closed to foreigners, and that we want inward investment but want to disconnect from Europe. We are sending a very negative and dangerous signal that we do not like the biggest single market in the world and we do not want to be full partners with the rest of the 500 million people living under the rule of law and democracy.

I understand Front-Bench colleagues’ interpretation of the Robin Hood tax—the fair trade tax—but I feel a lot happier in the current economic crisis standing with the spirit of St Paul’s rather than the spirit of bean counters.