Douglas Carswell's Blog

Was this a diplomatic triumph?

Today we learn that Britain won't have to further contribute to a Greek bailout via the European Financial Stability Mechanism.  It is good that we will not be required, on this occasion, to lend another large sum of money to Greece. 

Perhaps you see this the way the Whitehall mandarins want you to and believe it to be a great British victory? Alternatively, you might be asking how on earth it came about that anyone is suggesting we lend money to prop up a currency union we chose not to join, in the first place.

Over the past 13 months, the Europhile elite in Whitehall have encouraged ministers to massively increase Britain's liabilities for Eurozone debt.  Quite apart from Greece, we are now on the hook for £12 Billion for Ireland and Portugal. At the same time, our IMF subscriptions have been quietly increased by £9.2 Billion (an amount equal to a 1p rise in income tax).

Now, at last, if seems David Cameron has shifted policy – perhaps starting to listen to Parliament, rather than the Fed-head mandarins who’ve been pressing ministers to keep on accepting more bailouts.

Perhaps now is also the time for the Prime Minister to think again before appointing Sir Jon Cunliffe - one of the officials who helped land us in the mess – as next ambassador to the EU?

If we want Britain to get a good deal in our negotiations with Europe, we should begin by appointing diplomats and negotiators who at least have some idea of what a British victory might look like.

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