DESPITE carrying a bottle of Atherton-made Irn-Bru into the European Parliament, MEP Terry Wynn didn't bend a single lamp-post!

But he did bend an ear or two when he made his latest complaint about the Common Agriculture Policy.

For Mr. Wynn, toting the Irn-Bru and a jar of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls, also made in the borough, was complaining about the high price of sugar forced, he says, on the consumer by the CAP.

He said: "One of the biggest problems with the CAP is that it has created a system where sugar in Europe costs over twice the price of sugar on the world market. Companies like Barr, who make Irn-Bru, are directly affected by these over-inflated prices. They need sugar, but are forced to pay way over the top for it."

Mr. Wynn added that the cash subsidies paid to farmers for growing sugar comes from the overall EU budget, financed by every EU taxpayer, so in effect the consumer end up paying twice. One as a taxpayer, contributing indirectly to the EU budget, and again when a quarter of mint balls or a bottle of Irn-Bru is bought at the sugar subsidy inflated price."

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