Nick Clegg is on the warpath today, accusing Labour of being “hypocritical” over plans to vote in favour of cutting the EU budget. Yes, Nick Clegg is accusing someone else of being hypocritical, stop laughing at the back. The DPM said:
“Their change of heart is dishonest, it’s hypocritical…It’s not the behaviour of a party serious about government.”
Once you’ve stopped laughing though, you might question whether Clegg has a point. For the avoidance of doubt he doesn’t. Labour has backed either a cut or a freeze in the EU budget for quite some time, without any comment from the government parties. There has been no recent “change of heart”. Here’s the evidence:
July 2012
Labour votes in favour of an amendment put down by shadow treasury minister Chris Leslie, calling for “a real-terms reduction”. (h/t: Paul Waugh)
Last week
Labour MEPs vote in favour of freezing the EU budget, as reported on LabourList. All of this was before any of the recent press coverage of any of the plotting from Tory rebels.
Hypocrites Nick? There are plenty of them about, but you’re looking in the wrong place…
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