Cameron suffers stinging defeat over Europe Mr Cameron had already promised to veto any significant rise in EU spending and Downing Street last night promised to "take note" of the vote in the coming budget negotiations. Some Conservative MPs said the vote could strengthen Mr Cameron's hand in the budget talks, but aides fear the result could create a significant political problem for Mr Cameron. Government sources insist that it is effectively impossible for Mr Cameron to deliver a cut in EU spending because so many other members want an increase. Yet any budget deal that falls short of the cuts demanded by the House of Commons could leave Mr Cameron facing a backlash from MPs and the public. Peter Bone, a Conservative rebel, said many MPs had defied the Government because their constituents will not accept a rise in EU spending. "Parliament spoke for the people," Mr Bone said. It was a very significant victory for the people. Ed Balls, the Labour Shadow Chancellor described the vote as "humiliating" for Mr Cameron. Senior Tories responded by accusing Labour of taking an "opportunistic and hypocritical" position on the budget because of the last government's record on EU spending. EU leaders are trying to decide on a budget for 2014 to 2020. The European Commission and several EU countries are calling for an increase in spending. Mr Cameron has said he wants EU spending to rise in line with inflation, a real-terms freeze. Conservative critics say that would still cost British taxpayers billions of pounds, arguing that at a time of domestic austerity, EU spending should also be cut. Before the vote, the Prime Minister tried to placate his party by insisting that he too wanted a cut and promising a hard line at the summit. "At best we would like it cut, at worst frozen, and I'm quite prepared to use the veto if we don't get a deal which is good for Britain," he said. But let's be clear - it is in our interest to try to get a deal because a seven-year freeze would keep our bills down compared to annual budgets. Mark Reckless, one of the leaders of the Conservative rebellion, told MPs that Mr Cameron's plan would increase the UK's net contribution to the EU from £9.2 billion last year to £13.6 billion in 2020. "We simply cannot, cannot afford that," he said. Mark Pritchard, another rebel leader, said money sent the EU should be spend in the UK instead. He said: "Are we going to continue to ask families up and down this country to stop putting new shoes on their children's feet while we fill the very large Mercedes fleet of Brussels?" No 10 said that Mr Cameron was taking the toughest stance of any EU leader on the budget, but ministers admitted that even his starting position for the talks - inflationary rises in spending - would cost Britons more money. Greg Clark, the City minister, told MPs: "It is true that the increase we are talking about would involve further contributions." Tony Baldry, a senior Tory backbencher who backed the Government, accused the rebels of "self-indulgence" that could take the party back to the internal conflict that undermined Sir John Major's government. He said: "If this party hopes to be in government after the next general election, it has just got to get a grip and start supporting the Prime Minister." Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, likened Mr Cameron to Sir John, his authority undermined by Tory dissent over Europe. "He can't convince European leaders, he can't even convince his own backbenchers," Mr Miliband said. He is weak abroad, he is weak at home: It's John Major all over again.