The Celtic comparative advantage in summits

Notwithstanding the dubious legacy of Bertie Ahern's endless summitry when the Republic had the European Union presidency last year, the UK seems to have decided that their time in charge of the G8 and the EU Council of Ministers should likewise be used to assemble the suits in the Celtic nations. After June's G8 summit in Gleneagles (which John Bolton now seems to be in the process of trashing, but that's for another day), Jack Straw is hosting his counterpart EU Foreign Ministers the weekend after next in Wales.

And as with the Irish events, the choice of venue is symbolic both of the branding of Celtic heritage and the high-life trappings which the ministers award themselves:

[Times of London] Three people were being questioned under anti-terrorism legislation today after being arrested near to the venue for next week's summit of European foreign ministers.

Police were interviewing the three men, who live locally, after they were stopped in Chepstow Road outside the Celtic Manor, a five-star hotel in Newport, south Wales, which will host the conference ...

The Celtic Manor plays host to a pro-celebrity golf tournament at the weekend, in which Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas will play on opposing sides in the team contest between Europe and the US.

It's not implausible to assert that the pro-am golf tournament will be the more constructive of the two events.