The British government has been warned by an ally of the German Chancellor that the UK will not 'get away with' looking after its own interests at the expense of Europe.

Volker Kauder criticised the government's opposition to a levy on financial transactions - known as the Tobin tax.

The Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan told the BBC that the UK is "being billed to prop up a currency we didn't join".

He said the UK's responsibility is to "its own electorate" and suggested the UK should be the sanctuary that other countries flee to.