Britannia Radio

One oif 3 today not on the web nor traceable through the paper's 
search engine)

Blair is unable to stop grandstanding but then if he wants the job of 
EU president I suppose this is merely campaigning.   Hi expertise in 
financial matters is NIL.

I wouldn't blame Brown if he were livid!

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TELEGRAPH   20.11.08
Brown may snub summit hosted by Blair and Sarkozy
Henry Samuel in Paris and Robert Winnett

Tony Blair is to co-host a summit on the global financial crisis with 
President Nicholas Sarkozy of France in January in a move likely to 
infuriate Gordon Brown.

Mr Blair's office has invited the Prime Minister to the Paris 
conference, but an official said last night that he was still 
considering his diary comments.

Sources said that Mr Brown was "relaxed" about the event.  However, 
any attempt by Nr Blair to overshadow Mr Brown's efforts on the world 
stage is likely to anger Downing Street.  He has rebuilt his 
political reputation by claiming to lead the world in tackling the 
global financial crisis. - most recently wit a 'road map' for 
financial reform he presented at a G20 summit last weekend.

But he may now have to contend with Mr Blair taking on a formal role 
in the global response to the economic crisis. The summit will come 
days before Barack Obama is sworn in as US president on Jan 20, and 
threatens to upstage a G20 summit that Mr Brown is expected to host 
in London in April .

"At a time when we are trying to define a new model of capitalism and 
reflect on the values that will help us to adapt to globalisation, 
this event will make an essential contribution", Mr Blair said in a 
statement.

Mr Blair and Mr Sarkozy are close friends, and the French president 
is known to have enthusiastically backed Mr Blair as a possible 
candidate for president of Europe.