Who do we need to support most? Our friends the Americans, or a big British company having a hard time?
This is the quandary facing the Government at the moment as BP oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico. Whilst the Government have been sympathetic to the Americans’ ‘frustration’, Boris has this week broken rank to complain about the ‘anti British rhetoric’ emanating from President Obama and the US administration.
Asked if he thought Cameron should intervene in the escalating war of words, he replied: “A national company is being repeatedly beaten down over the airwaves.�
The mayor’s spokesman told City A.M.: “This in an environmental catastrophe. BP has lessons to learn and of course it’s right to criticise it, but let’s not demonise an important Anglo American firm.�
David Cameron, however, said, “This is an environmental catastrophe. BP needs to do everything it can to deal with the situation and the UK government stands ready to help. I completely understand the US government’s frustration.â€?
Bozza had support from Tory grandee Lord Tebbit, who said the “whole might of American wealth and technologyâ€? had been “utterly unable to deal with the disastrous spillâ€?. Tebbit added, “So what is more natural than a crude, bigoted, xenophobic display of partisan political Presidential petulance against a multinational company?â€?
So, who is right? Should we be beating a British firm for their perceived failings, or criticising the US administration for picking on one of our own?