In the corporate world this would be down as a business development trip. In my career this is something I have a good understanding of and in my own small way have done similar trips across the world. most of them have been a total waste of time. We meet people, all goes well, we agree that something will come out of it, but very little ever does once you are back in Blighty. After all, other countries are sending trade delegations too and the world moves on. Some the the CEO's going along would have gone anyway and no doubt appreciate taxpayer paid plane ticket and extra-fine dinners laid on for the politicians.
Plus there is the fear of compromise; which I mean in the Mittal sense of the word What deal is being done now that will come back and bite the Tories years down the line. I hope they are different because Labour had much form for this, the little that they tried to do.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a waste of time to try and help build British business, but to send the PM and Chancellor seems over-egging it. I wonder really if this is part of the coalition deal to give Clegg face time as the Leader?
6 comments:
Maybe they both wanted a bit of time away from the missus...together?
Or maybe GO is like DC's Ally Campbell, and he just kind of goes blank and says 'Where's George' a lot when he's not around?
Interesting view from an Indian colleague.
He said Cameron's visit was not mentioned at all in the Indian media.
We are not that important.
We tend to forget that despite appearances we are culturally more outward - focused than most other countries; part of being a small island.
In a former career as a broker I would see at least ten potential clients a day and would expect a ten per cent success rate in terms of new business.
Firstly India and China are both free from the welfare system. Secondly they are protectionist towards outsiders setting up businesses in their countries without the heavy involvement of their own people (so I hear from good sources.)
I wouldn't like to be lower class Chinese OR Indian - but any arrangement with open borders (a one-way flow in our direction) and an apologetic predisposition on our part will result in us coming out worse off out of the deal.
I fear that Cameron is a wet. I think he's going to be worse for us than Blair in many ways.
Cameron has so much to answer for. He can start by getting Clegg to explain the Labour non-deal with the LDs.
Then he can tell us about the new BofE plans for QE.
Post a Comment