No Brits likely in top EU jobs

Rhoda Klapp

Yeah, HMG should involve itself in dubious continental maneouvres in order to put the next government in an awkward position. Let's not consider trying to pick the best man for the job, or letting our umpteen partners get a look in, or accepting that this farrago means we don't have any more influence at all because the EU is our government now and any incumbent of the two positions will have to swear allegiance to the EU above any national interest. Just as Gordon did, and would not admit to at PMQs a couple of weeks ago, although that was almost totally ignored by the UK media, including this place.

John Law

"The process to pick the two new EU jobs - that of Council President and High Representative - is nearing completion and Britain looks set to walk away empty-handed"

Since the candidates were Blair and the chimpanzee, I think empty handed was a resounding success.

Our cup overfloweth!

Michael Booth

Hoorah!

Publius

Good.

TrevorsDen

"The process to pick ..." such is democracy in Europe.

TrevorsDen

PS - things are getting desperate in Labours pre-election planning stakes

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1227022/Sarah-Brown-steals-the-stars-descend-red-carpet-Cosmo-Awards.html

JohnPage

Brown simply wanted his hated rivals to dangle and then lose. That was all he cared about. Personal revenge.

Maybe we'd get a top economics job as a consolation, which would be a good prize.

Fearless Frank

...Britain looks set to walk away empty-handed.

You make it sound as though Britain would have wanted this pair of chancers in the jobs.

The process to pick the two new EU jobs... is nearing completion

And incidentally, what is this mysterious process? Some sort of election? No-one ever seems to mention it.

And here's a funny thing - when the boy Milliband announced he didn't want the European job anyway, I could have sworn Radio 4 news reported there was widespread disappointment in Europe. Can this be true?

Irene

I am thrilled!
I just wonder why miliband let all the speculation run and run, he didn't actually throw his has into the ring, so maybe he was never in the running.

Dominic Allkins

@TrevorsDen - amazing isn't it given that Bruin said he wouldn't use his family as a prop...

Billy Blofeld

Trevorsden...... thanks - I nearly hurled my lunch over my screen then.....

strapworld

BUT, The man who saved the world, the man who never makes mistakes, the man who has given everything (but the right equipment) to our troops, the man who has been right about everything under the sun. Our glorious leader has been telling us that we are at the 'heart' of Europe.

Now I know he does have difficulty in spelling, sorry I mean pronunciation, you know this week it was "Cast eyeron Guarantee"!! Perhaps when he told us we were at the "heart" of Europe he mispronounced and it was "arse" Just a thought!

Dorothy Wilson

Der Spiegel magazine is tipping Massino D'Alema - and ex-communist - for the "High Representative" job and Herman van Rompey, the Belgian PM for President of the EU Council.

Those choices just about sum up the EU. Someone Paddy Ashdown would, at least, have had some cridibility.

Dorothy Wilson

Der Spiegel magazine is tipping Massino D'Alema - and ex-communist - for the "High Representative" job and Herman van Rompey, the Belgian PM for President of the EU Council.

Those choices just about sum up the EU. Someone Paddy Ashdown would, at least, have had some cridibility.

Chuck Unsworth

Sarah Brown has quite obviously gone south - as has her husband.

Publius

"Chris Patten, George Robertson or Paddy Ashdown for the High Representative's job. All three men are respected on the continent and would have put the Tories in an awkward position."

-- Anything to undermine our democracy, eh?

Chuck Unsworth

Mandelson, 'Third Coming'?

Not from what I hear.

Nicholas

"High Representative" sounds like something from Gilbert & Sullivan. Is the post holder going to wear voluminous satin knickerbockers and a big straw hat and be preceded everywhere by a flunkie with a big gong? If so, I think Miliband would be eminently suitable for the post.

Yam Yam

Simon Heffer asks the most poignantly rhetorical question in the 'Telegraph': why would Miliband want to be Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition in a country with no more real power than your average county council when he could aspire to be the High Representative of an all-intrusive superstate.

Norman Dee

@Nicholas, he would be ideal for the job of "Flunkie with big gong" anything else is ridiculous.

Mirtha Tidville

It would be preferable if an incoming goernment treated these two posts as akin to `The Mayor of Toytown` coupled with the `Vicar of Dibley` and just ignored them, ploughing our own furrow instead....

Dennis Churchill

Rebate reduced, Referendum pledge reneged on... for what?
Delaying the election, so Lisbon could come into force, has probably destroyed Labour’s chances of power for the foreseeable future, so it is not all bad.

Mike Spilligan

Fearless Frank:... I confirm that "widespread disappointment" was the phrase used in the R4 news bulletin. I spluttered and wondered if the journalist / news editor lets these things through to see if the newsreader copes with such complete claptrap without laughing.
In any case what does "in Europe" mean? - the population at large? - the "elite" - or somewhere between? The sloppy, biased BBC again is all that can be said.

Tankus

@TrevorsDen
You will know when Brown really gets desperate , when he cynically gets her to do page 3 .

I don't think that time is far off ..

JohnAnt

Is that chap really called Hermann van Rompey? Or is that just his stage name?
I can forsee Sun headlines a la 'Up Yours Delors'. Hermann had better not get caught in flagrante in a van in Pompeii (or Portsmouth either).

NIN

Good.

mirtha tidville

Tankus.....I do hope your wrong...I could end up feeling rather ill otherwise

.... .... ......

They KNOW it would be pointless.
They KNOW Cameron WILL give us a referendum,
and now they are being mardy.When is by the by...they KNOW it's coming.

emil

Memo to Blair

If you are going to sell your soul (or country) to the devil better make pretty damn sure that he's going to give you what he promised in return.

Ex-Tory voter

So Blair gave away our hard-earned rebate for nothing, then. We pay more (in Euros, to boot, which makes it even more expensive) while Blair continues coining it outside Europe. The CAP (the ostensible reason for giving up the rebate) most certainly has NOT been reformed! Working for change from within? What a laugh!

JohnAnt

headlines such as:
'Van Rompey Rumpy-Pumpey in Pompey Van!'

And today on P.3 -
'Steelie Neelie Shows her Mettle' (Metal, geddit?)

That's quite enough Sun headlines - Ed.

EC

What has Dave had to say about this?
Why nothing! More votes for UKIP and the BNP. This is why he won't win the next election.

Another reason that Dave won't win is that Tone IS going to stage a comeback, if not Europe then guess where!!!