EU film madness

Wasting EU money on "bribing" British cinemas to show old foreign movies has been slammed by UKIP MEP Paul Nuttall.

"Brussels is offering £8.6 million to a network of cinemas across at least 20 countries, including ours, to show these European films for 12 months.

"If we weren't in the middle of a dire financial crisis it would be laughable but this is no laughing matter," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Deputy Leader.

"No one wanted to watch these films, such as 'Muumise Kunst', a 2006 documentary about Estonians selling Tupperware, the first time round and I cannot believe anyone will the second time round.

"And I don't think that 'Noi Albinoi', the story of a lovesick Icelandic Albino or 'O Fantasma', the tale of a Portuguese dustman is going to having them queuing round the block either.

"It is bad enough that the EU allots its MEDIA 2007 an annual budget of £100 million to support small enterprise and independent film makers. I'm all for helping small business but common sense must be used when tax payers money is being spent, especially right now.

"Of course to the Eurocrats £100 million is nothing, for after all it costs us £50 million a day to be members of the EU. As always they find dafter and dafter ways to waste it and this film promotion scheme is no exception.

"It could be the script of 'Carry On Plonkers," he added.