European Communities (Finance) Bill

I rarely agreed with the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) when I sat on the same Benches as he. Judging by his speech, it is no more likely that I shall agree with him in future, on the subject of our debate. However, he is an honest and able man. He is always courteous in debate and in private discussion. It is therefore a pleasure to follow him in the debate. Doubtless we shall both take part in other debates on the subject in future—in the near future if we are so lucky as to catch your eye, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Let me say at the outset that I believe that the settlement is superb and I am unambiguously delighted that we have secured it. I shall vote for the Bill with enthusiasm. Indeed, it would be unedifying—to use a stronger word, obscene—if we enforced against much poorer countries in eastern Europe the rebate that we secured in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher against countries that were much richer than us at the time, such as France, Germany, the Benelux countries and the Nordic members of the Union. It would be taking money from someone who was much poorer. The hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) sincerely regards himself as a great advocate for Poland—a country for which, although I do not have his family connections, I have always had the greatest admiration, for a host of reasons, and I am delighted to have so many young Poles in my constituency doing such a good job and being such good citizens. I find it extraordinary that the hon. Gentleman, given that he honourably and naturally takes that position, should say that we should enforce against Poland the mechanism that we secured to defend our interests when we were much poorer than the average member of the Community, as it was then called. I hope that he will reconsider the matter, although I do not know whether he will do that in time to change his vote tonight.