Budgeting for a long night of short change

Get a taste of some of the interesting and quirky happenings in Europe from our Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill.

Simon Harris, junior minister in the Department of Finance (pictured), was dispatched for the normally boring and almost intractable negotiations on EU budgets over the weekend.

On the table was a harrowing collection of budgets, amended budgets, proposals to cut budgets; refunds for some, and extra payments for other countries.