Friday 28 March 2008

Supping With Sarkozy: Use a Long Spoon


One of the more serious problems of having a PM like Brown, ridden as he is with doubt and insecurity, hesitation and inferiority, is that anyone who flatters him can have whatever he wants.

And, let's be clear, Sarkozy - who can play Brown like a fiddle - wants plenty from the UK public purse. In particular, as first predicted on C@W here 9 months ago, he is looking for contributions to his immense nuclear decommissioning bill.

And he knows all too well the cheap beads with which to entrance our native chief: a modicum of flattery, a soupçon of faux-gratitude, a hint of cooperation over Sangatte, a nod in the direction of CAP reform, and a mention of more French troops for Afghanistan. Pressing all the buttons with the light touch of an elegant finger, the other fingers crossed firmly behind his back (doubtless to be raised in traditional Anglo-Saxon salute on conclusion of the state visit).

Oh yes, and some kind of partnership on developing nuclear power (read: we may get slightly higher priority on buying some key components of nuclear reactors that only the French currently build). This has been heavily hyped, but the entire 14 pages of the agreed communiqué contains only these 52 words on the subject, and pretty thin they are too.

"Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of nuclear development projects, including in safety and pre-licensing, through our nuclear regulators working closely together to share information on nuclear safety, security and waste management, action which could be extended to other interested European partners (and which could include as appropriate other items of common interests)"

"Extended to other interested European partners …” Oh yes, Sarkozy wants nothing less than an EU Common Nuclear Policy. And – mark my words- it will involve in the rest of us picking up his tab.

And he’s just found his first sucker subscriber. Get a grip, Brown, it’s our money he’s after !

ND

13 comments:

Sackerson said...

I wondered what he was up to. When they start with the soft soap, exepct to be shaved.

Anonymous said...

Yes it did occur to me earlier "what does he want?" then I recalled your excellent predictions!

Nick Drew said...

Thanks. In fact I have been predicting this for years: it's an instinctive (as well as ideological) French reaction to their big difficulties. WW1, WW2, unviable rural economy: no problem, no embarrassment, no cock-up so big you can't internationalise it !

What is interesting is that Sarkozy is the first French politician to be bold and confident enough to try his hand with the nukes. A clear-sighted nationalist and a real player !

And we trudge onto the playing-field, led by the one-eyed king. Makes you weep.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful article and spot on about Brown.

Trouble is we have another two years of this. God help us all.

Bill Quango MP said...

Gordon on the telephone to his new friend.

"Well, that's agreed then Nicolas.. yes .. Yes ..Ok. Yes next week I promise.. ......No you put the phone down first...No you..No you... Ok, on the count of three.. One , two, three...Hello ? .. you didn't put it down either!.. No you put it down first.. No you..Ohh he's hung up."

Mark Wadsworth said...

Nice one. There was something in the FT recently that nuclear is only viable if they get cut price use of waste storage facilities. Which confirms my long-held belief that nuclear does not make economic sense. And why on earth we should be subsidising French companies is a mystery to me.

Nick Drew said...

Mr Q - sounds about right

Ken - thanks

Mark - & thanks again.

A propos of "nuclear is only viable if ...", there is another amusing nuclear industry 'only if' revealed in a front-page Grauniad article today:

Carlo de Riva, chief executive of French state-owned nuclear company EDF, said British backing for renewables would undermine nuclear power.

"If you provide incentives for renewables ... that will displace the incentives built into the carbon market. In effect, carbon gets cheaper. And if carbon gets cheaper, you depress the returns for all the other low-carbon technologies. [like nuclear power]."


Bloody frogs !

Mark Wadsworth said...

ND, bloody frogs indeed! FT article on non-viability of nuclear is here. I am assuming that the maths is correct.

My new energy policy is "Do nothing. End all subsidies and tax-breaks. Let the markets sort it out. Delegate planning permission decisions for any new power stations to local councils and county councils".

James Higham said...

For him to come to power he ahd to have been EU approved - simple logic.

Anonymous said...

What about our own £70 billion nuclear decommissioning bill?!?!

Nick Drew said...

Letters - I am sure Sarkozy will graciously extend his Common Nuclear Policy to all - it's just that he knows who will benefit disproportionately ...

Anonymous said...

aaaa片, 免費聊天, 咆哮小老鼠影片分享區, 金瓶梅影片, av女優王國, 78論壇, 女同聊天室, 熟女貼圖, 1069壞朋友論壇gay, 淫蕩少女總部, 日本情色派, 平水相逢, 黑澀會美眉無名, 網路小說免費看, 999東洋成人, 免費視訊聊天, 情色電影分享區, 9k躺伯虎聊天室, 傑克論壇, 日本女星杉本彩寫真, 自拍電影免費下載, a片論壇, 情色短片試看, 素人自拍寫真, 免費成人影音, 彩虹自拍, 小魔女貼影片, 自拍裸體寫真, 禿頭俱樂部, 環球av影音城, 學生色情聊天室, 視訊美女, 辣妹情色圖, 性感卡通美女圖片, 影音, 情色照片 做愛, hilive tv , 忘年之交聊天室, 制服美女, 性感辣妹, ut 女同聊天室, 淫蕩自拍, 處女貼圖貼片區, 聊天ukiss tw, 亞亞成人館, 777成人, 秋瓷炫裸體寫真, 淫蕩天使貼圖, 十八禁成人影音, 禁地論壇, 洪爺淫蕩自拍, 秘書自拍圖片,

做愛的漫畫圖片, 情色電影分享區, 做愛ㄉ影片, 丁字褲美女寫真, 色美眉, 自拍俱樂部首頁, 日本偷自拍圖片, 色情做愛影片, 情色貼圖區, 八國聯軍情色網, 免費線上a片, 淫蕩女孩自拍, 美國a片, 都都成人站, 色情自拍, 本土自拍照片, 熊貓貼圖區, 色情影片, 5278影片網, 脫星寫真圖片, 粉喵聊天室, 金瓶梅18, sex888影片分享區, 1007視訊, 雙贏論壇, 爆爆爽a片免費看, 天堂私服論壇, 情色電影下載, 成人短片, 麗的線上情色小遊戲, 情色動畫免費下載, 日本女優, 小說論壇, 777成人區, showlive影音聊天網, 聊天室尋夢園, 義大利女星寫真集, 韓國a片, 熟女人妻援交, 0204成人, 性感內衣模特兒, 影片, 情色卡通, 85cc免費影城85cc, 本土自拍照片, 成人漫畫區, 18禁, 情人節阿性,

Anonymous said...

情色電影, aio交友愛情館, 言情小說, 愛情小說, 色情A片, 情色論壇, 色情影片, 視訊聊天室, 免費視訊聊天, 免費視訊, 視訊美女, 視訊交友, ut聊天室, 視訊聊天, 免費視訊聊天室, a片下載, av片, A漫, av dvd, av成人網, 聊天室, 成人論壇, 本土自拍, 自拍, A片, 愛情公寓, 情色, 舊情人, 情色貼圖, 情色文學, 情色交友, 色情聊天室, 色情小說, 一葉情貼圖片區, 情色小說, 色情, 色情遊戲, 情色視訊, 情色電影, aio交友愛情館, 色情a片, 一夜情, 辣妹視訊, 視訊聊天室, 免費視訊聊天, 免費視訊, 視訊, 視訊美女, 美女視訊, 視訊交友, 視訊聊天, 免費視訊聊天室, 情人視訊網, 影音視訊聊天室, 視訊交友90739, 成人影片, 成人交友,

免費A片, 本土自拍, AV女優, 美女視訊, 情色交友, 免費AV, 色情網站, 辣妹視訊, 美女交友, 色情影片, 成人影片, 成人網站, A片,H漫, 18成人, 成人圖片, 成人漫畫, 情色網, 日本A片, 免費A片下載, 性愛, 成人交友, 嘟嘟成人網, 成人電影, 成人, 成人貼圖, 成人小說, 成人文章, 成人圖片區, 免費成人影片, 成人遊戲, 微風成人, 愛情公寓, 情色, 情色貼圖, 情色文學, 做愛, 色情聊天室, 色情小說, 一葉情貼圖片區, 情色小說, 色情, 寄情築園小遊戲, 色情遊戲, 情色視訊,