You might have noticed that there have been some shenanigans regarding the Lisbon Treaty knocking about in the last few days. The Irish rather unsportingly ratified the treaty quite comfortably before our own London Mayor came out at the Tory party conference demanding a referendum on the subject.
One of the seemingly main grumbles with the Treaty is that it includes provision for an EU President and the fact that one of the leading contenders for the role happens to be one Anthony Charles Lynton Blair has rather ruffled a few feathers.
“Most people would be extremely annoyed if Tony Blair is appointed president of the EU,” said Conservative foreign affairs spokesman William Hague. “There could be no worse way to sell the EU to the people of Britain.” (the fact that Blair convincingly beat Hague in a General Election apparently has nothing to do with the posh baldie’s opposition to Blair getting the gig. Er, right.)
However, the best quote on the subject is, as ever, attributed to Bozza who said Blair would be “a Euro-Emperor… like some wizard in the Lord of the Rings in a guise more powerful than we can possibly imagine.”
Now, I’m no expert on the European constitution (and we hate to disagree with Boris) but I doubt the EU President’s powers will extend to conquering the Elvish island of Tol Sirion, enslaving men as ringwraiths and then assuming the title of Lord of the Earth and King of Men. If it does, mind, we’ll all have more to worry about than Slovenia’s powers of veto over interest rate mechanisms…..