And Some Say That These Are Our Friends? With Friends Like These .....

'The European Commission is working to circumvent UK veto on financial transaction tax!Open Europe yesterday hosted a panel debate at the 2011 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, discussing the coalition Government’s record on EU policy. Speaking at the event, Dr Kay Swinburne MEP warned of the climate of “hostility” towards the UK in Brussels, arguing that the Government should focus its efforts on increasing the number of British civil servants in the European Commission, which is in charge of drafting EU legislation. She also suggested that the Government should have “killed off” plans for an EU-wide financial transactions tax earlier, noting that EU Tax Commissioner Algirdas Semeta had “already started work” on presenting the FTT as a value added tax (VAT) – which could be imposed without a unanimous vote and therefore strip Britain of its right to veto.' (OE)