Iain Dale 7pm - 10pm
Britain Will Have To Pay For An MEP Private Army And Andrew Is Fuming
4 March 2017, 08:32
Andrew Pierce is furious over reports Britain will be forced to pay for an EU private army for MEPs.
New figures show that the budget for European Parliament is set to increase by more than three per cent next year, meaning the UK will contribute €268 million.
The Times has reported some of this will be spent on a new protection force for MEPs - and Andrew Pierce is fuming.
He said: "So essentially those wretched MEPs in the European Parliament - does anybody know their MEP? Or care?
"Turnout always under 30 per cent. They're going on a spending spree because we're still wedded to it, and will have to pay. You know what I would do if, I was Theresa May?
"Say 'tough, as part of the negotiations I'm withholding that part of the budget and I'm certainly not paying for a private army to protect MEPs'.
"Why would you need a private army to protect MEPs when if 650 of them walked into LBC studio nobody here would recognise any of them, except one, Nigel Farage. And that's not just because he's on the team sheet.
"Who knows a single other MP- Dan Hannan maybe, the Tory MP for Essex and East London. Can anybody think of another MEP? Ridiculous. It's just why people voted to Leave because this lot spend other people's money like it's going out of fashion and it makes me sick.
"A private army for MEPs. Dear me. £1.7 billion pounds and you, dear taxpayer, are going to have to cough up. The sooner we get out of that wretched organisation, the better."