Saturday, October 30, 2010

Noises off, as Cameron fights the UK corner.

Was walking up Broad Street in Weslhpool this morning when I met an old friend, who immediately began berating David Cameron in terms that Simon Heffer would be proud of. Mind you, he was my Ukip opponent at the last election! I didn't enter into a debate there and then - it could have turned a bit heated. He really is a good friend, and I managed to move the conversation on to the sale of the Lake Vyrnwy Estate, about which he also has strong views. But it did cause me to take a coffee at Coco's and contemplate the EU budget issue.

I wanted a freeze. Everyone I've talked to wanted a freeze. Absolutely no-one seems willing to argue for an increase, 2.9%. 6.0% or 0.1%. David Cameron wanted a freeze. So why do I reckon that our Prime Minister got a good deal? I'll tell you why, in grown up language. I'm a fairly typical businessman. Throughout my business life as a livestock farmer, I have been negotiating deals - buying rams, breeding ewes, heifers, stores, bulls, machinery, feedingstuffs etc. I've been selling fat lambs, finished cattle, yearling speckled faced, etc.. I don't think I've ever bought or sold anything at the opening bid. By the measures adopted by the Prime Minister's critics, every deal I've ever done has been a failure'. If I ever return to run my business, remind me never to ask Heffer to negotiate for me. I'd be 'bust' in short order. Or buy a watch in Hong Kong. Better off ask one of my own heifers to negotiate.

Lets consider what some of these critics really want. They want the UK to withdraw from the EU. They want our Prime Minister to behave in a way that makes the EU unworkable. They want to bring down the Liberal Democrat-Conservative Coalition. All of these are perfectly honourable objectives, but they are neither Conservative policy nor my policy. I state again that I would have liked an EU budget freeze, but such a deal was not on the table. David Cameron probably got the best deal there was (No way I can know that - and neither can anyone else) and he secured a lot of agreement on some fairly sceptical rhetoric. Let my fellow Conservatives turn their fire on the Labour Party, which reneged on its promise to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and now stand on the touchlines, doing policy somersaults, watching people who should know better making some damn stupid comments.

5 comments:

Witterings from Witney said...

Sir, David Cameron did not get any deal! May I respectfully suggest you go and do some homework on how the EU operates - and I mean no offence by that remark.

Private bet twixt thee and me - £10 from me if the final budget increase is not over 2.91%. If it is then you owe me £10? Fair?

Glyn Davies said...

WFW - Sorry but I'm just not a betting man. never have been. Was even cross with Mrs D for putting money on me to win Montgomeryshire at the General - despite her pocketing some handsome winnings. Even if you are correct about it not being a stitched down deal, it doesn't negate the points I was making.

Witterings from Witney said...

Glyn,

As a life-long Conservative of 40+ years, until 2005, I have not had a 'Conservative' Party to support.

We may have to agree to disagree on this subject, however I have to say that having met DC - not just at his surgeries, but elsewhere - as a constituency MP, no complaints whatsoever! It is his policy on the EU and other subjects, like the Big Society, that I vehemently disagree with.

You may care to refer to:

http://witteringsfromwitney.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-this-from-welsh-conservative.html

and other posts on Cameron and the EU.

No personal offence intended and none taken, I hope.

Anonymous said...

"Was walking up Broad Street in Weslhpool [sic] this morning"

"Been an MP for almost six months."

"Been involved in lots of discussion about the future funding of S4C over the last few days"

"Was late arriving at the Colostomy Association's 'Open Day' today."

What an odd, affected writing style. Why not use the personal pronoun? You don't need to be educated to do so - you just need to have some basic respect for the English language.

Glyn Davies said...

WFW - Of course there is no offence taken. If we all agreed about everything, there would be nothing to talk about.

Anon - Fair enough. I don't write blog posts in correct grammer. Some don't like that, so I guess they don't visit.