Posh Nosh Meets The Ballot Box
Wining And Deciding
After months of networking, secret briefings, it seems that the candidates for the Council President and High representative will be announced after the EU Leaders dinner on 19th November. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told the press that “My intention is to put forward one candidate per job” and that this could well be decided “after a lengthy dinner”. The leaders are known to enjoy a good feast accompanied by fine wines, so if the dinner does go on for a long time, it is quite possible that the top jobs could be decided by people who would be, lets put this politely, a little bit tipsy?
Gordon Brown’s National Interest: Himself!
The embattled British Prime minister has put his weight behind giving Tony Blair, the man he ousted from power, the post of Council President. This doesn’t look to be going very well and brown is getting the reputation of a man who couldn’t pick a winner in a one horse race. One opponent was Conservative Shadow foreign minister, William Hague, who briefed that appointing Blair would be considered “a hostile act” by the expected new Tory government.
Brown responded by saying “most British people would prefer a British person taking that job than citizens of other countries. I ask people to look at this as an issue of Britain’s national interests and, if you have the chance for that to happen, it is in Britain’s national interests.”
Brown’s Foreign Secretary, David Milliband was considered to be the front runner for the High Representative position, but he has now ruled himself out. Insiders are saying that a major factor was that Brown didn’t want to fight a by-election in South Shields, should Milliband be appointed. How is that in Britain’s interests? Not to take up a high position because you fear a by-election in what should be one of your safest seats?
Brown is betting all on Blair getting the Presidency. If he fails, Britain will walk away with nothing and Brown’s reputation will fall even further. The interesting question, will it sink far enough for him to be toppled?
