Quote:
Originally Posted by Horizon
No idea why the other countries agreed to Thatcher's rebate, I'll look it up.
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Because the civil service drafted legislation to put before parliament which would have given the British government legal authority to refuse to pay anything towards the budget of the EEC. This draft bill was never published, but its existence was quietly explained to the representatives of all the other member states.
They agreed the rebate because they knew Thatcher was deadly serious about derailing the entire European project if she didn't get it. Cameron should take note, because he won't get any concession worthy of the name out of the EU unless he is similarly prepared to put a bomb under it and wave the detonator under their noses.