Blair, Brown and the tussle in Brussels
9:56am
Two days to go and already the European Union summit is promising to be a cliffhanger. Will Blair sign? Will the Poles and the Czechs save him, and veto? No10 appears to be furious that Gordon Brown is holding out the prospect of a referendum and says there will be none “because we will not sign up to anything that breaches our red lines.” Yet I hear the Chancellor’s red lines are different: he doesn’t want a permanent EU president (especially one that may be called T Blair) and no EU foreign minister either. He’s right: this is the real test. Already, Mr Brown may be a better champion of British interests in Europe than Blair ever was.
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Anon
June 19th, 2007 10:22am Report this commentII bet you we end up with an EU foreign minister but just called something else. Its the way Brussels works
albert hammond bootleg
June 19th, 2007 11:36am Report this commentIt'll be the usual stitch up, any talk by Brown of a referendum is just populist hot air. Europe is just the ultimate job creation scheme for the snoutinthetrough classes, (see the Kinnocks..)
Fraser Nelson
June 19th, 2007 11:45am Report this commentAlbert, much as I love the idea of Brown giving us a referendum I do agree that its hard to envisage. Presumably he'd vote "yes" and would then be beaten by Cameron's "no" side - not a prospect he'd relish. But still, his aides are encouraging reports that he would call a referendum. I may prove to be very wrong here, but I suspect Brown will be our best (ie, rudest and least co-operative) head of state at the EU table since Thatcher.
albert hammond bootleg
June 19th, 2007 12:23pm Report this commentFraser, will that approach be as effective for Brown as it was for Thatcher some 20 years ago, I don't think so. The EU has changed a lot, many new smaller states want progress to something, (I suspect they only have a vague idea of what it is they want) but they won't take so kindly to a member state being obstructive. My feeling is, nowadays the EU gets what the EU wants.
Denis
June 19th, 2007 8:57pm Report this commentAlbert,
What it wants it gets!! Up to a point - think France and Holland recently. The key thing is to stop it. Mr Blur will do anything to cosy up to the cabal that he believes (credulously) may offer him a big Euro-pay-packet. Mr Brown probably will do anything to stop him. SO much for principles and policies, in the end we're down to REALPOLITICS Let's hope Brown can finish off the greatest hypocrite of modern political life.
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