Rubbing our noses in it

The new EU Ambassador to the United States has started off very well. Very diplomatically.
Joao Vale de Almeida, for it is he has dug right in. According to the Washington post he has finally answered Kissinger's supposedly plaintive call,

"In this area code, you call me,"

He went on in a way that is sure to put people's (mine included) noses out of joint.

"I'm supposed to have a wider mandate than my predecessors," the head of the EU delegation to the United States added during an interview at the EU mission in
Washington.
"Our delegations now cover a wide spectrum of issues well beyond the economic dimension, trade dimension and regulatory dimension, to cover all policies in the union, including foreign policy and security policy," he said.
His job reflects changes introduced with the Treaty of Lisbon which came into force in December enhancing the EU's capacity to "operate more effectively and act more cohesively in matters of foreign affairs and security," the EU said.

So please somebody explain what is left for Her Britanic Majesty's Ambassador left to do in Washington apart from to prop up the bar and to complain about the portrayal of BP, and the use of British actors as baddies in Hollywood?

It is apparant that they have nothing else to discuss now that Europe has shaken of its pre-Lisbon torpor.

There again given that Nigel Shienwald was formerly UK Rep in Brussels then at least he knows the form.

Update
Glad to see my story picked up by the Telegraph, Nile Gardiner and now the Express and the Specator.

Comedy response from the FO to the Speccie,

The Foreign Office contact me to state that the EU isn't proposng to levy taxes, that the EIO won't put additional stress on police forces and that the European diplomatic service will not replace the UK diplomatic service.

So what was Lewandowski saying about EU taxes? What does the EIO do? And what the hell is the point of the EEAS if it isn't to take over the role of our diplomatic corps.

Does the FO think we are all as stupid as it is? (No don't answer that)