Desperate Dave's Dodgy Deal Disappoints

David Cameron has got his deal having caved in further on his already watered down compromises on the compromises on his original "demands".

No firm details have been released yet as it will need to go to a special meeting of the Cabinet where Cameron will attempt to bully as many ministers as possible into backing his sham renegotiations.

What we do know is that his plans for cutting in-work benefits for immigrants have been watered down again. It originally started off as limiting immigration from the EU, then it was changed to a ban on immigrants claiming any benefits for 7 years to try and discourage them from coming here, then it was watered down to 4 years of in-work benefits, then it was watered down to starting at nothing and building up to full entitlement by the end of 4 years but the EU gets to decide when the restrictions can be applied and they can only stay in place for a maximum period of time which was originally 13 years but was watered down again yesterday to 7 years. It would also only be applied to newly arrived immigrants and only starting from 2020 and the restrictions will have to be applied to our own citizens as well so it doesn't discriminate against people from other EU countries.

We also know that the "ever closer union" statement in the Treaty of Rome which has no legal standing will continue to have no legal standing and that it will be changed in a future treaty to say that everyone else in the EU still wants ever closer union but the UK doesn't.

Cameron's red line on immigrants claiming child benefit for kids they've left at home evaporated and they will continue to be able to export their child benefit, albeit at different rates. Child benefit for kids not living in the country will be index linked to the cost of living in the country in which they live. For most immigrants that will result in a decrease in payments but for a significant number it will result in higher payments because the cost of living is higher than the UK.

The fact that even these pathetic, watered down tweaks that change absolutely nothing about the EU or our relationship with it were opposed so vehemently highlights the abusive relationship we find ourselves in with our so-called partners in the EU.