Yep the country is broke and all seem to agree, even labour are talking cuts but 2 days after the mini budget, Gordon Brown suddenly finds an extra 0.75 billion of our money to give away, a huge chunk more than other EU members who are riding the recession better
“SKINT Britain plans to double the amount of cash it gives poor countries to fight climate change.
The £1.5billion handout is almost twice the amount Gordon Brown pledged only two weeks ago and more than any other nation in Europe.
It means the UK will be paying almost a QUARTER of the entire contribution from the 27-member EU, despite being worse off than places like Germany and France already coming out of recession.
PM Mr Brown insisted the three-year contribution despite our debt mountain was "the right thing".
He hoped it would seal a global deal at the climate change summit in Copenhagen and make other countries, especially Italy and Spain, boost their contributions.
It follows Chancellor Alistair Darling's belt-tightening Pre-Budget Report which forecast harder times for UK taxpayers.
The extra cash is expected to come from the foreign aid budget, one of the few areas of Government spending protected from cuts.
And still more could be diverted from the Energy and Climate Change Department, which will see its funds increase from £7.4billion this year to £11billion in 2013.
The EU has agreed a £6.5billion package to help fight global warming with measures such as saving forests and building sea defences.
Mr Brown has torn up his diary for next week to spend four days in Copenhagen instead of two.
He said the UK had "taken a leadership role".
Friends of the Earth said the EU was "shamefully" using cash that could have gone on third-world schools and health. “
And of all the EU countries we have committed more troops, 9000 aprox, germany 4000, france 3000 to Afghanistan
The full breakdown
United States 31,855
Britain 9,000
Germany 4,245
France 3,070
Canada 2,830
Italy 2,795
Netherlands 2,160
Poland 2,025
Australia 1,200
Spain 1,000
Romania 990
Turkey 820
Denmark 700
Norway 600
Belgium 510
Bulgaria 460
Sweden 430
Czech Republic 340
======
TOTAL 65,030
Other nations: 2,670
======
ISAF TOTALS: 67,700
so EU nations total 30,000, UK 9000, 27 nations in EU, why has UK commited 30 % of the EU forces, we foot the bill,
yes the UK should do its bit but it is a union and we seem to be paying bigger subs everytime……….we are not America and trying to keep up with them is robbing the tax payer, time to swallow the ego, we are a small country in a huge world……with are own problems to solve
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uk 1st at the EU bar and keeps buying the rounds by 'kudos' << You are here!
