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EU ambassador dismisses UK role

Wednesday, 11th August 2010

The EU's new Ambassador to Washington has caused a diplomatic storm after telling President Obama: "I'm the man to call when you want to call Europe."

William Dartmouth MEP, UKIP's spokesman on International Trade pointed out, "Cameron's trip to see Obama can now be seen to be a complete waste of time."

The Ambassador, Portugal's Joao Vale de Almeida – who reports only to EU Presidents Barroso and van Rompuy and Baroness Cathy Ashton – told local press in Washington that he was now the man to call, echoing Henry Kissinger's famous question "When I want to call Europe, who do I call?".

"I'm the first new type of ambassador for the European Union anywhere in the world," he said.

"I'm supposed to have a wider mandate than my predecessors."

Vale de Almeida dismissed the British ambassador's role as dealing only with bilateral relations while he will be taking responsibility for a vast range of issues.

He said: "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."

The Earl of Dartmouth responded saying: "All the other parties have supported or accept the domination of the EU through the Lisbon Treaty. And this is the result. The British Government will be left discussing how British actors are portrayed in Hollywood at best."

"Of course Britain will continue to pay for the privilege. This is only the start, as the existence of Britain's permanent seat on the UN Security Council is already in the EU sights."

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