European Community (Budget)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 7:34 pm on 2 July 1980.

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Photo of Mr Russell Johnston Mr Russell Johnston , Inverness 7:34, 2 July 1980

That is an entirely different point. If we accept the concept of redistribution, it inevitably and implicitly means that we recognise that the country that is poorer does not pay more. That is common sense. But that is not what the amendment means. It means that a country gets what it puts in, no more or no less. I would never vote for such an amendment, and I ask Labour Members who believe in the potential redistribution that the Community offers whether in honesty they can do so either.

As one who was critical of the Prime Minister's abrasive tactics and who does not necessarily believe that, because abrasive tactics get results, we could not necessarily get the same results if we proceeded in an equally determined but perhaps more good-natured fashion, nevertheless I agree with the Chancellor that the way is now open for a radical restructuring of the budget and that we must take the fullest advantage of it.

The Chancellor paid tribute to his fellow Finance Ministers, in particular to the Germans. I would add a person and a party for congratulations. The first is Emilio Colombo, the Italian Foreign Minister, who, from all accounts, chaired this difficult session very well.

Secondly, I repeat what I said when the Lord Privy Seal made his initial statement in the House—that the influence and effect of the German Liberal Party was significant. A number of the more nationalist hon. Members on the Government Benches interrupted me when I said this before. However, it must be remembered that it was a considerable step for a very small party under serious electoral pressure to stand up for and argue that its country should give away a large amount of money. That should be recognized.

The Chancellor did not go on to give us much idea of the new directions which the Government would encourage the Community to take. I want to indicate some of the directions that I should like to see him pressing.

First—and I think that the House must face this at some time—if we are to have a Community which is capable of pooling resources in a mutually supportive fashion, we must have more than one Community policy. At the moment we have one Community policy. The common agricultural policy is not quite the 75 per cent. about which hon. Members go on about, because lumped in with the CAP budget go Lomé payments, food aid payments—