· PM claims victory in face of widespread criticism · Pro- and anti-EU MPs line up to attack deal Britain's EU budget rebate will increase under the compromise hammered out at the Brussels summit, Tony Blair will tell MPs today. The average annual rebate in the six-year budget cycle just ending was £3.6bn, and because of the way it is calculated, would have risen to an average £5.3bn a year in the new cycle, he will tell the Commons. Despite offering £1bn a year on that rebate to help modernise the new eastern European states, the prime minister will argue that not only has he retained the rebate but it will increase to around £4.3bn annually up to 2013. In a major shift of budget cash from the rich west to the EU's poor east, Britain's net contributions will rise significantly, though by half as much as Italy and France, which will at last be paying roughly the same share of national income to the EU as Britain. But the principle of the rebate has been retained, along with 80% of its value - the very point his critics accuse Mr Blair of betraying. Faced with accusations of betrayal and incompetence, Mr Blair will round on Tory critics and say they led the campaign in the 90s to admit the impoverished ex-Soviet bloc states, and should accept the need to provide them with financial help.
Britain's EU budget rebate will increase under the compromise hammered out at the Brussels summit, Tony Blair will tell MPs today. The average annual rebate in the six-year budget cycle just ending was £3.6bn, and because of the way it is calculated, would have risen to an average £5.3bn a year in the new cycle, he will tell the Commons.
Despite offering £1bn a year on that rebate to help modernise the new eastern European states, the prime minister will argue that not only has he retained the rebate but it will increase to around £4.3bn annually up to 2013.
In a major shift of budget cash from the rich west to the EU's poor east, Britain's net contributions will rise significantly, though by half as much as Italy and France, which will at last be paying roughly the same share of national income to the EU as Britain. But the principle of the rebate has been retained, along with 80% of its value - the very point his critics accuse Mr Blair of betraying.
Faced with accusations of betrayal and incompetence, Mr Blair will round on Tory critics and say they led the campaign in the 90s to admit the impoverished ex-Soviet bloc states, and should accept the need to provide them with financial help.
