Jacques Santer, the European commission's president said during the announcement of his budget plans for MEPs in Strasbourg, "From a purely financial point of view these four member states are today in a worse position than the United Kingdom was before the rebate. In effect the United Kingdom is no longer in a unique position - and will be even less so after enlargement. Its case for a rebate has gradually become weaker."

So, the money that Margaret Thatcher (quite rightly at the time) secured in rebates from the commission budget is about to come to an end.

Blair and his merry men will have to find up to 2.5 billion pounds a year to cover this shortfall. Of course that probably means tax rises.

The Scottish parliament should beware its tax raising powers as London could EASILY recover this shortfall by altering the Barnett formula that controls how much Scottish tax money comes back to Scotland from London.

This would force the Scottish parliament into raising taxes by 3p in the pound. This would bank roll London.

This is the same disgusting behavior London perpetrated in 1707 when the Scots were made to pay for their own subservience to London.