Who enjoyed the best week in UK Politics this week?

Nobody likes an unexpected bill, especially one for €2.1 billion, which is what the EU handed the UK this week. It might only be a few cruise missiles and a plane or two, but it’s a lot of cash to find, even if it’s not as unexpected as the Government implies. The EU could hardly have found a better way to push British voters towards UKIP and an EU exit.

David Cameron led the reaction, complaining the bill was too high and he wouldn’t be paying. But noting the principle that these payments do relate to relative economic situations he left the way open for signing off on any slightly reduced bill Brussels sends over the Channel instead. Is the UK being punished for its austerity programme? Does Germany really need a handout? The huge figure bolsters the argument that a rethink of the UK’s relationship with the EU is over-due and fuels the belief that the UK pays highly for the right to allow unfettered access to the country and to measure everything in kilograms. It all adds to the Tories woes as the next election starts to pan into shot.

Things continued badly for Cameron with the latest polls showing Labour heading the Tories by 1%. But Labour didn’t get it all their own way with Johann Lamont (Norman’s sister?), Labour’s Scottish leader, standing down with immediate effect. Her unhappiness with the way the Scottish Labour party was being influencing by London shows that the Tories aren’t the only party trying to keep internal divisions out of public view. With the leadership position now vacant it has been suggested Gordon Brown might take over in Scotland, a move unlikely to be welcomed by those who endured his management of the UK for so long as Chancellor and then Prime Minister.

UKIP, who must be laughing all the way to the ballot box had issues of their own, with a calypso song released and then taken off sale.  Because the singer put on a Jamaican accent there were claims it was racist. Ill-advised maybe, but the R-word is something that UKIP’s opposition feel free to throw at the party at the slightest provocation.

The Green Party surpassed the Lib Dems in polls this week, taking 8% of the polled vote, whilst Tony Blair was forced to deny he had said that Miliband  doesn’t connect with the public and can’t beat the Tories.

So who enjoyed the best week in UK Politics this week?

UKIP – even the EU is fighting their corner