Rebate backfires on Blair

TONY Blair flew home empty-handed and friendless last night after his bid to reform EU spending ended in failure.
The PM offered to trim up to 1billion off Britain's annual rebate to clinch a deal with fellow leaders.

But after wafting taxpayers' cash under their noses in a two-day sprint across Europe, his efforts came to nothing.

In fact, his mission achieved little except to alienate new EU members and infuriate millions of voters back home.

Tories attacked him for surrendering the hard-won rebate without a deal to slash whopping subsidies for French, Spanish, Italian and Greek farmers.

And allies in new member states say Blair's cashback offer is too small to rebuild their countries.

Last night he was called 'Billy No Mates' as his hopes of making a mark on Europe collapsed.

Shadow Europe Minister Graham Brady said: 'Tony Blair has put billions on the bargaining table for nothing.

'He's proved that money can't buy him popularity or love. He's Billy No Mates.' Even Mr Blair admitted he was in a 'tight spot' with just two weeks until crunch Budget talks open in Brussels.

In a 3,750-mile trek he met leaders in Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Hungarian leader Ferenc Gyurcsany warned they were 'far from agreement'.

Estonian PM Andrus Ansip said Blair's 'unacceptable' offer would cut their investment by 10 per cent.
As he flew home, Mr Blair admitted: 'It is going to be difficult to find an agreement.

'But it is in Britain's interests to find an agreement. Otherwise we will have a stalemate in Europe.'
The PM said he is ready to give up a slice of Britain's annual 3.8billion rebate, secured by Margaret Thatcher in 1984.

from DAVID WOODING Whitehall Editor at The Sun