Monday 18 August 2008

Ahh, Yes, This Is The ‘New Tory’ Party…

…just the same as Tony Blair’s ‘Nu Labour’. All soundbite and gimmick:
Britain should bar Russian oligarchs from shopping trips to London to punish their country over its role in the Georgian crisis, David Cameron said.

The Conservative leader called on the Government to take a much tougher stance against Moscow, including suspending Russia from the G8, summoning the country's ambassador to make a diplomatic protest and fast-tracking Georgia's membership of Nato.

Mr Cameron, who flew to the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Saturday, said: 'Russian armies can't march into other countries while Russian shoppers carry on marching into Selfridges.'
What an amazing world statesman you are going to be, Dave. Banning blameless Russian citizens from shopping here due to the actions of their government will really show Moscow, won’t it?

Posturing cretin…

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't believe he said this. Imagine the retaliation we would face if such a useless gesture was carried out. We have billions invested in Russian resources (mining, drilling etc.) and it wouldn't take much for Putin to step up his appropriation of these assets.

Cameron is acting like a clown. Blair was awful, but even he wouldn't have come out with such a dumb statement.

Anonymous said...

je

"We have billions invested in Russian resources (mining, drilling etc.)" As if our investments there were safe before Russia invaded Georgia.

Cameron is a clown and I'm not convinced that stopping Russians shopping in Selfridges would prevent Russian bullying but he's on the right track (for a change). Don't kid yourself that passively accepting Russia's conduct would "safeguard" our investments. Those investments are contingent ie Putin could "legally" - or illegally for that matter - seize any assets we own in Russia at the crook of his little finger. What would you suggest in response? Sueing him in a Russian court?

The only response to Russia (absent a military one - which isn't practical) is a long-term one and lies in securing our energy supplies. This would be done, not by turning the UK into a windmill, but by ensuring that in a standoff with Russia we (and the rest of Europe) have months of gas supply stored. Russia would collapse financially if its income from oil and gas stopped for a couple of months and if the US and the EU froze Russian assets outside Russia.

One thing is certain. If, because BP, Shell and others, mistakenly trusted to Russian goodwill and the Russian "legal" system to safeguard their investments, we throw up our hands and tell Putin to do what he wants - he will do so (and he'll grab our investments anyway).

Anonymous said...

umbongo

Excellent point re the need to secure long-term energy supplies and to have a coherent strategy in this regard.

Anonymous said...

"I can't believe he said this."

I can. The man's a useless, conscienceless, parasitical showboat. In other words, a perfect modern day politician.

Agree with umbongo and staybryte though - security of energy is crucial in the coming years. Reducing our domestic storage was a critical mistake that should never have been made...