[BBC] -- UKIP leadership hopeful Steven Woolfe has admitted failing to disclose a drink-driving ban when seeking election as a police and crime commissioner.
Mr Woolfe told Huffington Post he "forgot about the conviction" from 2002 when he stood for election in 2012 - in a possible breach of electoral law.
He got a £350 fine and nine-month ban for being drunk in charge of a scooter.
Mr Woolfe is awaiting UKIP's verdict on whether he can run for the leadership, having missed the nominations deadline.
The 48-year old MEP and immigration spokesman, who is seen as the frontrunner to succeed outgoing leader Nigel Farage, blamed technical issues with the registration site and insisted he was still in the race.
Monday, August 01, 2016
Sunday, July 31, 2016
There's a Doctor Who episode in there somewhere
George Gilder at a Cato Institute event in May linked to his current book, The Scandal of Money (also participating: Steve Forbes) --
Money is time. What we really are experiencing today is a war against time conducted by all the central banks of the world.
But remember, it's Trump who brought the crazy to conservatism.
Money is time. What we really are experiencing today is a war against time conducted by all the central banks of the world.
But remember, it's Trump who brought the crazy to conservatism.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
La citation du jour
French Prime Minister Manuel Walls in an interview with Le Monde --
Mon gouvernement ne sera pas celui qui créera des Guantanamo à la française.
No translation needed.
Mon gouvernement ne sera pas celui qui créera des Guantanamo à la française.
No translation needed.
Quote of the Day
Glenn Greenwald in a Slate interview --
... if you are someone who wants to stop Trump or Brexit, your goal should be to communicate effectively with the people who believe it is in their interest to support Trump or Brexit.
In terms of relating Greenwald's point back to posts here, this one provides a bit more theory behind the term elite and this one applies the diagnosis to Brexit.
... if you are someone who wants to stop Trump or Brexit, your goal should be to communicate effectively with the people who believe it is in their interest to support Trump or Brexit.
In terms of relating Greenwald's point back to posts here, this one provides a bit more theory behind the term elite and this one applies the diagnosis to Brexit.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Not enough eyes
The French security services had a photograph -- but no name or other identifying information -- and a warning from a foreign intelligence service that the person in the photograph was ready to carry out a terrorist attack. He turned out to be the second person in the church attack in Rouen; the warning came 4 days beforehand (Abdelmalik Petitjean). He managed to stay out of sight for those 4 days, despite what appears to be a move across the country, showing the limits of public surveillance technology. A face and a solid prediction may not be enough.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Learned nothing, forgotten nothing
Tom Newton Dunn is the political editor of Rupert Murdoch's rapidly pro-Brexit tabloid, The Sun.Juncker appoints Michel Barnier as EU Commission's Brexit negotiator. Hard to think of a more anti-British figure, declaration of war.— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) July 27, 2016
Leavers becoming losers
Reuters --
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker appointed Michel Barnier, a former commissioner and an ex-minister, to lead negotiations to form a new relationship with Britain after it leaves the European Union.
Prominent Leave thought-leader Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail 4 years ago, discussing a Michel Barnier appearance (as Single Market commissioner) before a Commons committee --
I’d sympathise with anyone who wanted to get out of this clot’s orbit.
And now your team will have to talk to him more closely than ever!
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker appointed Michel Barnier, a former commissioner and an ex-minister, to lead negotiations to form a new relationship with Britain after it leaves the European Union.
Prominent Leave thought-leader Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail 4 years ago, discussing a Michel Barnier appearance (as Single Market commissioner) before a Commons committee --
I’d sympathise with anyone who wanted to get out of this clot’s orbit.
And now your team will have to talk to him more closely than ever!
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Church and state
The church is unusual in having Liberty, Equality, Fraternity engraved on the front entrance.
Photo: Gabriel Coutagne /Le Monde
Precedented
Above, via New York Times, the funeral of a victim of the Baghdad church attack, 31 October 2010, in which nearly 60 people were killed. The attack was carried out by the ISIS predecessor in Iraq. Rouen is a new location for something already in the DNA of ISIS hate-messaging.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
About those Putin Trump theories
While there's lot of tantalizing 3 degrees of separation stuff, the entire edifice has one huge weak point: it rests heavily on Trump adviser Paul Manafort's time as a consultant to former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. However, Ukrainian politics does not lend itself to picking one strand and extrapolating from that: the strands are tightly woven and there's always more than meets the eye.
One sign that something is amiss is that both Foer and Marshall dump a huge number of names into their articles but neither mention Rinat Akhmetov. Why does that matter? Because by the same accounts on which they're relying for their theories, it was actually Akhmetov who first hired Manafort, not Putin or Yanukovych. That's an especially glaring omission for Foer, who has a book titled "How Football Explains the World" to his name -- Akhmetov is among other things the owner of Shakhtar Donestsk football club (crest above).
And, as this Euromaidan article explains, Putin and Akhmetov certainly have overlapping but hardly identical interests, an agenda around keeping eastern Ukraine profitable for Akhmetov while not costing the Russians too much money -- by which standard, events have already spiralled too far for both of them.
Remember finally that the new theories are resting on Manafort's 5-10 year old stint in Ukraine, when circumstances have since changed dramatically. Of course the great thing about Russian intrigue is the way it blurs the line between possibility and fiction. Maybe some people are taking TV shows a bit too seriously.
UPDATE 1 AUGUST: A New York Times article about Manafort's Ukraine activities is very clear on the original connection being Akhmetov. Note also the fluctuation in his relationship with Yanukovych; they diverged in particular over the signing of the association agreement with the EU, the precipitating event of the 2014 turmoil. Contrary to what we said above, Manafort has been involved in Ukrainian politics more recently, albeit not anymore for Yanukovych.
UPDATE 1 AUGUST: A New York Times article about Manafort's Ukraine activities is very clear on the original connection being Akhmetov. Note also the fluctuation in his relationship with Yanukovych; they diverged in particular over the signing of the association agreement with the EU, the precipitating event of the 2014 turmoil. Contrary to what we said above, Manafort has been involved in Ukrainian politics more recently, albeit not anymore for Yanukovych.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Disturbed in Parallel
It's a reminder that there's sociopathic messaging out there besides that coming from Iraq and Syria. In this case, that messaging combined with a Glock and lots of ammunition, as in the ostensibly American precedents.
Left, the German cover for Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Trump the Canadian
National Review's Rich Lowry --
On the substance, Trump stuck to his signature themes on law-and-order, immigration, and trade to the point of monomania.
Indeed, much of the punditry on Trump's speech seems surprised at his core themes of border control, trade, and law and order.
Key section of the British North America Act of 1867 (which is now the basis of the Constitution of Canada) --
It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate and House of Commons, to make Laws for the Peace, Order, and good Government of Canada, in relation to all Matters not coming within the Classes of Subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the Provinces;
As Michael Ignatieff has pointed out, that POGG clause has generally been read in contrast to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, focusing instead on the basic requirements of trust in institutions to hold a large country together.
One can look at Trump and see the awfulness but still recognize why his themes are not so mystifying.
On the substance, Trump stuck to his signature themes on law-and-order, immigration, and trade to the point of monomania.
Indeed, much of the punditry on Trump's speech seems surprised at his core themes of border control, trade, and law and order.
Key section of the British North America Act of 1867 (which is now the basis of the Constitution of Canada) --
It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate and House of Commons, to make Laws for the Peace, Order, and good Government of Canada, in relation to all Matters not coming within the Classes of Subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the Provinces;
As Michael Ignatieff has pointed out, that POGG clause has generally been read in contrast to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, focusing instead on the basic requirements of trust in institutions to hold a large country together.
One can look at Trump and see the awfulness but still recognize why his themes are not so mystifying.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Carrying his cross
There will be days of analysis of the processology of the Ted Cruz non-endorsement of Donald Trump in his RNC speech in Cleveland.
Actually, it's simple.
Ted Cruz is deeply embedded in the Evangelical Christian tradition and as such easily blends Biblical literalism with contemporary America.
What therefore could be better for him than appearing before a boisterous crowd as their would-be saviour, but having the crowd call for someone else instead?
Cruz is Jesus. Trump is Barabbas.
Above, a classic clip from 24 Hour Party People, where the logic of naming a band Barabbas is explained.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
The other side of migration
New staff discussion note from IMF on the impact of eastern European migration on the source countries; useful given all the recent focus on destination --
The scale of CESEE (Central Europe, Southeastern Europe) emigration over the past quarter century has been unusually large and, in many ways, unique. CESEE countries have witnessed a large and persistent exodus of economic migrants, mainly to Western Europe. In some ways this phenomenon is similar to that observed elsewhere in the world—migrants move in response to income differences between home and host countries; when migrants move abroad, they improve their own well-being, and the remittances they send home benefit their families. The host countries, which face population aging pressures themselves, get a much needed boost to their workforce. But in other ways CESEE emigration has been unique. Moving distances are short, and visa-free access for EU citizens means that international borders do not deter movement as they do elsewhere. Many CESEE emigrants are skilled and young, thus their exit reduces the productive labor force in sending countries at a time when many of these countries are already experiencing adverse demographic pressures. Emigration has thus been large—in fact the largest in the world in modern times as a share of sending country population. Furthermore, it has been persistent and return migration has likely been limited.
In pointing to the huge size of the flows, it's a useful reminder that it would be surprising if such large flows did not have political effects.
The scale of CESEE (Central Europe, Southeastern Europe) emigration over the past quarter century has been unusually large and, in many ways, unique. CESEE countries have witnessed a large and persistent exodus of economic migrants, mainly to Western Europe. In some ways this phenomenon is similar to that observed elsewhere in the world—migrants move in response to income differences between home and host countries; when migrants move abroad, they improve their own well-being, and the remittances they send home benefit their families. The host countries, which face population aging pressures themselves, get a much needed boost to their workforce. But in other ways CESEE emigration has been unique. Moving distances are short, and visa-free access for EU citizens means that international borders do not deter movement as they do elsewhere. Many CESEE emigrants are skilled and young, thus their exit reduces the productive labor force in sending countries at a time when many of these countries are already experiencing adverse demographic pressures. Emigration has thus been large—in fact the largest in the world in modern times as a share of sending country population. Furthermore, it has been persistent and return migration has likely been limited.
In pointing to the huge size of the flows, it's a useful reminder that it would be surprising if such large flows did not have political effects.
Continue that train of thought
A couple of years ago, the brightest future stars in the GOP firmament: Rubio, Walker, Ryan. Now Trump apologists. https://t.co/Jh8w6k59o8— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) July 20, 2016
England's difficulty is Belgium's opportunity
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Britain is to relinquish its six-month presidency of the European Union which had been scheduled to begin in July next year following its decision to leave the European Union, with Belgium most likely to assume the role.
102 years after Britain went to war over little Belgium's neutrality, Belgium now comes in to pick up some of the pieces of the Brexit disaster.
Above: a cartoon from 1914 depicting Britain and its future enhanced trade partners ready to go to war over what Kaiser Bill had ridiculed as a scrap of paper.
UPDATE: Apparently it's even smaller Estonia that will replace Britain, although it seems there's some lack of enthusiasm about that option.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Switching sides
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in a news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, during which the British hacks discovered the limitations of their formerly chummy relationship with Boris; at one point there was a reference to the sweltering heat in the room which Boris took up --
And as for the heat of the day, it is very, very great, but we have some beautiful surplus German water cannon, so – (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Is there something in store for me I’m not aware of? (Laughter.)
FOREIGN SECRETARY JOHNSON: It’s what I feel like at the moment, actually.
And as for the heat of the day, it is very, very great, but we have some beautiful surplus German water cannon, so – (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Is there something in store for me I’m not aware of? (Laughter.)
FOREIGN SECRETARY JOHNSON: It’s what I feel like at the moment, actually.
Quote of the Day
Janan Ganesh in the Financial Times, the topic is the puzzling indifference to the intentions of the new UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, but it leads to a broader point about the triviality of current political discourse compared to the stakes --
For these reasons, and his chance to redirect economic policy, the appointment of Mr Hammond is an Event. That it earned less attention than Boris Johnson’s move to a husk of a foreign office, with all the gaiety of nations it supposedly augurs, makes sense only in a culture where adults play Pokémon Go and size up the new Ghostbusters against the originals.
For these reasons, and his chance to redirect economic policy, the appointment of Mr Hammond is an Event. That it earned less attention than Boris Johnson’s move to a husk of a foreign office, with all the gaiety of nations it supposedly augurs, makes sense only in a culture where adults play Pokémon Go and size up the new Ghostbusters against the originals.
Memories
President Reagan at the welcoming ceremony for President Kenan Evren of Turkey in June 1988 --
And I might say, Americans have admired the way that Turkey pulled itself back to democracy when challenged by the violent forces of terrorism and anarchy a decade ago. We are well aware of your own distinguished role, Mr. President, in maintaining Turkey's devotion to the ideals of Ataturk. Your country's pride in that accomplishment is understandable.
Reagan is referring to the 1980 military coup, which Evren had led as Chief of the General Staff before transitioning to the role of civilian President.
And I might say, Americans have admired the way that Turkey pulled itself back to democracy when challenged by the violent forces of terrorism and anarchy a decade ago. We are well aware of your own distinguished role, Mr. President, in maintaining Turkey's devotion to the ideals of Ataturk. Your country's pride in that accomplishment is understandable.
Reagan is referring to the 1980 military coup, which Evren had led as Chief of the General Staff before transitioning to the role of civilian President.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Border Troll
During the House of Commons debate on Trident today, North Antrim DUP MP Ian Paisley offered to host the nuclear deterrent in Ireland since Scotland doesn't want it. This would be the same DUP which supported Leave, a position rejected by Northern Ireland voters.
Executive Decision
Roger Cohen in the New York Times --
As coups go, the Turkish effort was a study in ineptitude: No serious attempt to capture or muzzle the political leadership ...
Wall Street Journal --
A trio of Turkish helicopters filled with rebel forces buzzed the country’s Turquoise Coast below a waxing moon early Saturday as they homed in on their target: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For the first time in more than 35 years, members of Turkey’s military were trying to forcibly overthrow their government ... As the small group of elite Maroon Beret soldiers on the Turkish Riviera staged their make-or-break mission to try to capture or perhaps kill the country’s democratically elected president, it seemed as if the coup plotters had the upper hand ... Yet the commandos who raided the resort where Mr. Erdogan had been staying missed their target. After a brief gunbattle with his presidential security force, the rebels were repelled. Before they ever arrived, Mr. Erdogan had slipped away ... When the elite commandos in their three Sikorsky helicopters landed in Marmaris, clashes broke out with members of the president’s security team and local police. A Turkish official said one police officer and a member of Mr. Erdogan’s presidential security detail were killed in the fighting. Mr. Erdogan’s security detail had already spirited him to safety. Commandos who came for Mr. Erdogan pulled back to their helicopters, one of which malfunctioned, and then took off empty-handed. While in the air, the aircraft carrying Mr. Erdogan and his small contingent was approached by what they believed were hostile Turkish fighter planes.
The speed with which a Reichstag fire/staged coup/It's Erdogan who has to be careful narrative has emerged among foreign policy elites is remarkable, not least because the known facts about the coup are not obviously consistent with it.
UPDATE: Cohen's column remains uncorrected over a week first publication despite numerous follow-up reports on the attempt to capture Erdogan.
As coups go, the Turkish effort was a study in ineptitude: No serious attempt to capture or muzzle the political leadership ...
Wall Street Journal --
A trio of Turkish helicopters filled with rebel forces buzzed the country’s Turquoise Coast below a waxing moon early Saturday as they homed in on their target: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For the first time in more than 35 years, members of Turkey’s military were trying to forcibly overthrow their government ... As the small group of elite Maroon Beret soldiers on the Turkish Riviera staged their make-or-break mission to try to capture or perhaps kill the country’s democratically elected president, it seemed as if the coup plotters had the upper hand ... Yet the commandos who raided the resort where Mr. Erdogan had been staying missed their target. After a brief gunbattle with his presidential security force, the rebels were repelled. Before they ever arrived, Mr. Erdogan had slipped away ... When the elite commandos in their three Sikorsky helicopters landed in Marmaris, clashes broke out with members of the president’s security team and local police. A Turkish official said one police officer and a member of Mr. Erdogan’s presidential security detail were killed in the fighting. Mr. Erdogan’s security detail had already spirited him to safety. Commandos who came for Mr. Erdogan pulled back to their helicopters, one of which malfunctioned, and then took off empty-handed. While in the air, the aircraft carrying Mr. Erdogan and his small contingent was approached by what they believed were hostile Turkish fighter planes.
The speed with which a Reichstag fire/staged coup/It's Erdogan who has to be careful narrative has emerged among foreign policy elites is remarkable, not least because the known facts about the coup are not obviously consistent with it.
UPDATE: Cohen's column remains uncorrected over a week first publication despite numerous follow-up reports on the attempt to capture Erdogan.
Maverick
Reuters --
At the height of the attempt to overthrow Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the rebel pilots of two F-16 fighter jets had Erdogan's plane in their sights. And yet he was able to fly on.
Most of the reaction to this story has focused on the ostensible puzzle of why the rebel planes didn't take action. But isn't a bigger puzzle why Erdogan made the decision to fly to Istanbul in a civilian aircraft without being sure he had control of the skies, and without assurance that he could land at his destination, Ataturk Airport, which was then under control of the rebels?
At the height of the attempt to overthrow Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the rebel pilots of two F-16 fighter jets had Erdogan's plane in their sights. And yet he was able to fly on.
Most of the reaction to this story has focused on the ostensible puzzle of why the rebel planes didn't take action. But isn't a bigger puzzle why Erdogan made the decision to fly to Istanbul in a civilian aircraft without being sure he had control of the skies, and without assurance that he could land at his destination, Ataturk Airport, which was then under control of the rebels?
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Erdogan proven right again
Wall Street Journal editorial assessment of the aftermath of the coup attempt --
All of Turkey’s opposition parties joined Mr. Erdogan in denouncing the Keystone coup, and rightly so.
By Keystone, they presumably mean the Keystone Cops incompetence quality of the coup implementers. But it also comes across as an unintended reference to the origin of the coup, as believed by the Turkish government, to be the Keystone State i.e. Pennsylvania, the home in exile of Fethullah Gulen.
All of Turkey’s opposition parties joined Mr. Erdogan in denouncing the Keystone coup, and rightly so.
By Keystone, they presumably mean the Keystone Cops incompetence quality of the coup implementers. But it also comes across as an unintended reference to the origin of the coup, as believed by the Turkish government, to be the Keystone State i.e. Pennsylvania, the home in exile of Fethullah Gulen.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Events
1. [and yes, this is from an old post] We keep being told that ISIS has come up this new strategy of urging its followers in western countries to mount their own attacks. Left, the summer 2010 edition of the magazine of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; the magazine's name is Inspire.
2. Nice. French interior minister is saying that the truck atrocity attacker looks to have radicalized very quickly. Not so good for any deterministic theory of Islamist terrorism. This is a virus that finds particular hosts.
3. Turkey. If ever there was an illustration that two countries around the corner from each other with a common heritage can be very different that was it. Egypt's military got rid of an elected Islamist President. Turkey's military could not.
4. Has TV rolling news ever lost interest in a story as quickly as they have the Turkish coup attempt? Sky News did a decent job last night but is now back predominantly to Nice, and CNN International, despite its Turkish affiliate having a major role in the story, is already back to feature programming as of Saturday morning. A Friday evening in summer with resources already committed to Nice and a complicated narrative-defying context (he's Islamist and he's popular?) -- BORING.
Friday, July 15, 2016
Obama on Erdogan
March this year in the extended Jeffrey Goldberg Atlantic article:
Erdogan has disappointed Obama like few others. Obama came into office thinking that the Turkish leader, a so-called moderate Islamist, would serve as a bridge between the United States and Muslims. But the king of Jordan, Abdullah II, among others, warned Obama that Erdogan was a false democrat. "Erdogan once said that democracy for him is a bus ride," Abdullah told Obama. "'Once I get to my stop, I'm getting off.'" It took a long time for Obama to realize that Erdogan's critics in the region were correct.
Bigger schemes
Events in Turkey this evening are a reminder that to the extent attribution of current problems in the Middle East to Sykes-Picot is true, it needs to be placed in context of all the factors creating the modern Turkish Republic. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne settled not just borders but the nature of post Ottoman Turkey, but of itself couldn't resolve tensions in that identity.
Despair
Gilles Keppel today in the wake of the Nice Bastille Day attack --
Or, revenant sur les politiques, il livre un diagnostic sans concession, fustigeant un "débat minable, pas du tout à la hauteur du défi. Notre classe politicienne est nulle face à cela, elle donne le sentiment de courir derrière l'événement, d'être intéressée surtout par ses chamailleries".
[politics .. a shabby debate which doesn't rise to the challenge. Our political class is empty in the face of it, giving the sense of always being behind the event, interested only in their bickering].
With a day's worth of trite political statements already underway, difficult to disagree with that.
Incidentally, on the Gilles Keppel-Olivier Roy feud, we tend to agree more with Roy, but the differences seem to be somewhat exaggerated anyway partially because of their different philosophical approaches.
Or, revenant sur les politiques, il livre un diagnostic sans concession, fustigeant un "débat minable, pas du tout à la hauteur du défi. Notre classe politicienne est nulle face à cela, elle donne le sentiment de courir derrière l'événement, d'être intéressée surtout par ses chamailleries".
[politics .. a shabby debate which doesn't rise to the challenge. Our political class is empty in the face of it, giving the sense of always being behind the event, interested only in their bickering].
With a day's worth of trite political statements already underway, difficult to disagree with that.
Incidentally, on the Gilles Keppel-Olivier Roy feud, we tend to agree more with Roy, but the differences seem to be somewhat exaggerated anyway partially because of their different philosophical approaches.
Saturday, July 09, 2016
Quote of the Day
Alexander van der Bellen, victorious Green candidate in the now-to-be-rerun Austrian Presidential election, in an interview with Die Presse --
The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is a European issue.
[original: Die Grenze zwischen Irland und Nordirland ist eine europäische Frage.]
The border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is a European issue.
[original: Die Grenze zwischen Irland und Nordirland ist eine europäische Frage.]
Friday, July 08, 2016
Keeping up appearances
Financial Times --
Goldman Sachs has hired the former head of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso to help it through the fallout from the UK’s shock decision to quit the EU. The Wall Street investment bank announced on Friday that Mr Barroso is joining as non-executive chairman of London-based Goldman Sachs International (GSI), the bank’s largest subsidiary. He will also be an adviser. Mr Barroso, who presided over the commission for a decade, told the Financial Times that he will do what he can to “mitigate the negative effects” of the Brexit decision. If the UK loses access to the EU single market, US banks may need to move big parts of their large European businesses out of London. “Of course I know well the EU, I also know relatively well the UK environment,” Mr Barroso said. “If my advice can be helpful in this circumstance I’m ready to contribute, of course.”
If anyone is professing confusion about what the term "elite" means in the context of the Brexit outcome, they should be confused no longer.
Incidentally, and as has been overlooked yet again in the Chilcot report fallout, Jose Manuel Barroso was the host of the final Bush-Blair Iraq War Summit in the Azores.
Goldman Sachs has hired the former head of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso to help it through the fallout from the UK’s shock decision to quit the EU. The Wall Street investment bank announced on Friday that Mr Barroso is joining as non-executive chairman of London-based Goldman Sachs International (GSI), the bank’s largest subsidiary. He will also be an adviser. Mr Barroso, who presided over the commission for a decade, told the Financial Times that he will do what he can to “mitigate the negative effects” of the Brexit decision. If the UK loses access to the EU single market, US banks may need to move big parts of their large European businesses out of London. “Of course I know well the EU, I also know relatively well the UK environment,” Mr Barroso said. “If my advice can be helpful in this circumstance I’m ready to contribute, of course.”
If anyone is professing confusion about what the term "elite" means in the context of the Brexit outcome, they should be confused no longer.
Incidentally, and as has been overlooked yet again in the Chilcot report fallout, Jose Manuel Barroso was the host of the final Bush-Blair Iraq War Summit in the Azores.
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