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BRUSSELS: What a difference two months makes. The last time Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy went to Brussels, it was elbows at dawn as they jostled to get the credit for the plan to rescue the world's banks. As EU leaders arrived for another Brussels summit this afternoon, Sarkozy is Brown's new best friend. They both agree on the need for a stimulus package to limit the scale of the recession and want EU leaders to agree to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020.
The PM and French President both have problems with Germany. It is wary about the EU stimulus plan (although won't block it) and the climate change agreement. Brown is livid about the stinging attack on his "crass Keynesianism" by the German Finance Minister Peer Steinbruck, although he won't make a formal complaint to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the summit. She is a Christian Democrat and Steinbruck a Social Democrat and Brown feels he's caught in the crossfire of a battle raging inside Germany's left-right governing coalition over whether to opt for a bigger fiscal stimulus. Brown's personal relationship with Merkel is fine but Sarkozy rarely sees eye to with her. But events have brought the PM and Sarko closer together, perhaps on the principle that my enemy's enemy is my friend.
The new entente cordiale may have its limits, however. Both Brown and Sarkozy want to be the first European leader to be invited to Washington by Barack Obama. The betting is that Sarko will win that one. But Brown already has a consolation prize in the bag: the new US President is coming to London next April for a world summit on the economic crisis.
The PM and French President both have problems with Germany. It is wary about the EU stimulus plan (although won't block it) and the climate change agreement. Brown is livid about the stinging attack on his "crass Keynesianism" by the German Finance Minister Peer Steinbruck, although he won't make a formal complaint to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the summit. She is a Christian Democrat and Steinbruck a Social Democrat and Brown feels he's caught in the crossfire of a battle raging inside Germany's left-right governing coalition over whether to opt for a bigger fiscal stimulus. Brown's personal relationship with Merkel is fine but Sarkozy rarely sees eye to with her. But events have brought the PM and Sarko closer together, perhaps on the principle that my enemy's enemy is my friend.
The new entente cordiale may have its limits, however. Both Brown and Sarkozy want to be the first European leader to be invited to Washington by Barack Obama. The betting is that Sarko will win that one. But Brown already has a consolation prize in the bag: the new US President is coming to London next April for a world summit on the economic crisis.
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Comments
Steinbruck like Cameron is in similar denial.
Those under 35-40 are destined to pay lifelong higher taxes to pay for the elder care of Saga Boomers. There is no way round that except increased immigration.
The UK and France are better placed to cope than most European countries. But that means the UK and France need to speak up for the positive contribution of immigrants and stop kowtowing to the racists.
I won't hold my breath.
Firstly, if international bodies and even the EU recognise we are one of the most densely populated countries in the world and we no viable infrastructure, then we have no room for more people.
We need to apply common sense, be pragmatic and realistic.
We do have a housing shortage
The schools are overfilling and resources are overstretched, because few of the migrant children can actually speak English
Our transport infrastructure is a joke and over expensive. Are you aware there are potholes on the M25 and A14? A substantial number of 'B' roads would be better suited for rally racing? Where I live it has got to be well over 5 years since the lane lines were painted and no-one drives within eight inches of the edge of the road if they don't want to be paying for wheel tracking and realignment every two months?
And before I hear the, 'but that's what the migrants can work on'.
I sincerely hope the people advocating this, recognise when they arrive here there is nowhere for them to live. Surely they will not be expected to live on the streets while they are building the homes for those already here waiting for somewhere to live, or should they jump the queue because they are building them? But doesn't that defeat the object of them coming in the first place?
Or is it expected they be housed in hotels at taxpayer cost? But the taxpayer has been doing this for 100's of 1000's for over five years, isn't that a tad unfair? Afterall, they may have their own offspring they are trying help to get their first home?
Perhaps those advocating this, should be prepared to house them, in their own homes if need be and at their expense.
And we shouldn't forget the UK carbon footprint has got to be reduced by 40% as well. Oh, and as a final shot, the Head of the National Grid has said we can expect power cuts by 2012 and that's with our current population.
No sorry, concreting over the UK is not way forward.