Top EU job for unknown peer 'is stitch-up between UK and France'

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 21:46

GORDON Brown has been accused of a stitch-up with French president Nicolas Sarkozy over the surprise appointment of Baroness Ashton as the European Union's foreign policy chief.

France will now be able to appoint one of its candidates in a key economic affairs role in the European Commission. Critics claim this could hamper the UK's financial interests by imposing extra regulations.

French newspaper Le Monde said that there had been a "tit-for-tat" arrangement allowing Mr Sarkozy to ensure the little-known Labour peer would secure the foreign policy job in exchange for France getting the internal market and financial regulation role.

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague has written to Foreign Secretary David Miliband, demanding to know whether the deal was done. He also warned that any "retreat from the principle of a free market within the EU" would damage the UK's national interest.

Critics of Baroness Ashton's appointment yesterday said she had never been elected to any office, yet would now represent 27 member states on the world stage.

Baroness Ashton in return vowed to spend the months ahead proving she is the best candidate for the job.

She was forced to defend herself after Westminster insiders attacked her lack of political experience, and pointed out she had been a prominent figure in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, implying this would count against her, as she will now be in charge of the EU's security policy.

"Over the next few months and years, I aim to show that I am the best person for the job," she said. "I think for quite a few people, they would say that I am the best person for the job and I was chosen because I am, but I absolutely recognise there are a number of candidates around, all of whom would have been extremely good, extremely able. I hope that my particular set of skills will show that in the end I am the best choice."

She said that since becoming Trade Commissioner last year, when Peter Mandelson was recalled from Brussels to rejoin the government, she had already taken the lead for the EU in high-level talks with China.

But having served for a number of years as a Labour minister in the House of Lords – including as Leader of the Lords – she has not had the experience of being directly elected.

"I am humbled by it, in that I am very conscious of those who have been elected so it's why I spend a lot of time in the European Parliament," she said.

"It's why, when I was leader of the House of Lords, I was very conscious of the role of the House of Commons, of MPs and the importance of those elected representatives. But while I wasn't being elected, I spent 28 years doing negotiation in all kinds of fora."

She said she had discovered only in the past few days that she was being discussed as a possible candidate for the job.

She said she would draw her authority in international negotiations from the general affairs council of EU foreign ministers, which she will now chair.

"The council will deliberate, will determine the views, with my support, I hope with my input and my expertise, and that will be the voice I will speak with," she said.

Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, was named on Thursday as president of the European Council. Chatham House, the foreign affairs think tank, dubbed the two appointments as "boring" and "the dampest of squibs".