European Communities (Finance) Bill

Having been shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for three years, I know a little about Ireland, but I must make the terrible confession that I have never made a study of Iceland. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will forgive me if I do not embark on an analysis of Iceland's economic experience now. The second big problem is that the Conservative party has shown this evening that it does not want to face up to the facts. I put to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond) the two most striking facts—I described them as salient—about the package. One was that for the first time the share of agriculture in total spending is now on a downward path. That is enormously important, as it means that the issue of agricultural spending is being resolved over time. As anyone who can do elementary logic will know, the curve could be steeper or less steep, but we are going in a direction in which the common agricultural policy problem will inexorably be resolved. The hon. Gentleman did not want to recognise that. The second fact that I put to the hon. Gentleman was that, under the settlement, France and Italy will increase their contributions at twice the rate of those of this country. That is also unprecedented, and an extraordinary achievement. Signor Prodi and Monsieur Sarkozy will have a much more difficult time defending this settlement in their national assemblies than the Government will have here. I have some sympathy for them, and I am glad that we have reached this sensible compromise, for all the reasons that I have mentioned. The hon. Gentleman did not even recognise those facts. I intervened twice, and his response was to run away from them and evade the points that I made. I must tell the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Gauke) and the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge, who is not in his place at present, that if they are serious about wanting to come into power, being in denial about the facts is a very bad basis for statesmanship and a disastrous basis for government—[Interruption.] I did not hear that point; if the hon. Member for Broxbourne (Mr. Walker) wants to make an intervention, I shall certainly take it. Members have been generous in taking interventions this evening, and I am happy to live up to that convention. The third problem, which goes back to good faith, or perhaps just to a lack of information or understanding on the part of Eurosceptics, both in the Tory party and in many parts of the press, is the rubbish and systematic, libellous and defamatory nonsense talked the whole time about the Court of Auditors and corruption and waste in the European Union. It is perfectly true that the Court of Auditors has regularly put reserves on the accounts that it has signed. [Interruption.] I will give way again to the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, but I hope that I can proceed after his intervention.