England Expects

So William Hague has his next big Foriegn Policy Speech, this time in Tokyo. And what is the FO highlighting. That he is bigging up EU trade with the Japanese. Not you will note the UK's trade with Japan.

The maximum removal of both tariffs and non-tariff barriers could deliver
an estimated €43.4 billion of additional EU exports to Japan and €53.8 billion
of additional exports from Japan to the EU,

Now correct me if I am wrong, but Mr Hague is travelling as the UK's Foriegn Secretary. His trip was funded by UK taxpayers, and ghis job is reliant on UK votes.

So what the hell is he playing at.

Well it is rather simple isn't it. He knows as well as I do that international trade is no longer what the EU call "a national competance". The UK no longer has a seat on international trade bodies, and cannot engage in any trade negotiations with third parties.

It is up to Brussels, not to the DTI whether we have free trade with India or Outer Mongolia. It is up to Brusels to decide how open our markets should be to Commonwealth countruies.

Thus when he is Tokyo, he goes not as our elected Foreign Secretary,but as a pimp for the EU.

Who cares iF Germany exports masses to or imports masses from Japan. It is none of our business.