Yesterday we were asked to approve a motion relating to the amount of our contribution to the European Union Budget. Not surprisingly the Ruropean Union want us to increase our annual payment to their bloated bureaucracy. To be fair to the Government the reality is that their hands are tied by the decisions of the previous Labour Government. Because of the way the European Union works whatever we might decide in Parliament the other countries of the European Union can vote to ignore us and in the case of the budget whatever the House of Commons votes for in the end we will be expected to pay up the amount they decide.

It is for this reason that I decided to vote against the three line whip and for the amendment put down by my Conservative colleague Douglas Carswell which called for our contribution to the European Union to be called. Next week we will hear the results of the Comprehensive Spending Review and at a time when we are having to make savings in the UK we should not be even contemplating paying more money to Brussels.