Splashed across the opinion pages of Britain’s lower-circulation, loss making newspapers the punditocracy claims Blair is The Only Man for this Job. Steve Richards, Oliver Kamm, Jackie Ashley, Matthew d’Ancona (“the former PM is certainly the best candidate available”), John Rentoul “Yes, Oui, Ja“, and most of the rest of the Islington chattering classes are agreed: Blair should be president.
For a reality check let Guido quote the Süddeutsche Zeitung
The chances of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair going to the post of President of the European Council’s are zero… At the meeting of Socialist leaders before the start of the EU summit, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was not listened to in his plea in favour of his predecessor… Thus Blair is in fact out of the race, because for this task no one wants to trust him.
Also overlooked by our somewhat delusional and europhile media elite is one glaring inconvenient fact; centre-right parties are politically dominant in Europe currently, the President is likely to come from their ranks.
Yesterday Brown fibbed in Brussels that “People would be pleased if a British person became president. I think most people would prefer a British person taking this job rather than citizens of other countries.” Polls show that less than a third of Britons support ‘President Blair’. Brown has perhaps the worst case of delusion, out of touch with the will of his own people. Guido knew that Blair would definitely not get the job once Brown cursed threw his backing behind him…