Rebels urge Blair to confront Bush

Tom Baldwin and Roland Watson / London Times 13apr01

Tony Blair is facing a revolt from senior Cabinet ministers who want him to put Britain’s special relationship with America into “deep freeze” over George W. Bush’s decision to rip up the Kyoto treaty on climate change. John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, is leading a group of ministers who want to adopt a hard-line stance, including threats to withdraw British co-operation on world trade, national missile defence and even the diplomatic stand-off with China.

They are telling Mr Blair that he has been too soft towards the new United States President. Together with European Union member states who are similarly outraged that America has reneged on key commitments to reduce global warming, the ministers believe that President Bush should be made to understand “that actions have consequences”.

Mr Prescott has already caused consternation in Downing Street with a public attack last week on the President over Kyoto. Mr Prescott has issued a warning that American firms would see their European exports suffer if they persisted in rejecting Kyoto, the international agreement for industrialised nations to cut their emissions of greenhouse gasses.

Mr Prescott said that immediate trade sanctions would be counter-productive, adding: “But the US Administration is feeling the force of international opinion. It must know it cannot pollute the world while free-riding on action by everyone else.”

Mr Prescott’s anger towards Downing Street is shared by Clare Short, the International Development Secretary, as well as to a lesser extent Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor.

Mr Blair has made a personal telephone call to President Bush to voice concerns about Kyoto. However, his desire to establish a firm friendship with President Bush and maintain Britain’s historic role as the “Atlantic bridge” between Europe and America is said to have caused the Prime Minister to “pull his punches”.

One minister last night contrasted Mr Blair’s “weak response” with the aggressive attitude adopted by the Swedish Government, which holds the EU presidency, as well as that of Gerhard Schröder, the German Chancellor.

“Europe could put real pressure on America to change its mind but Britain at the moment appears to be the weakest link,” the minister said.

“America depends on British and European co-operation to maintain its influence in the world in many ways. We all know that Bush needs to use Fylingdales if he is to bring in his missile defence programme, and he should not take our support for granted or indeed, for his current problems with China. We should be punching as hard as we can.”

The American Government has long been calling for a relaxation of European import controls on “white goods” such as refrigerators and washing machines.

The issue is expected to form a key part of the next stage of World Trade Organisation negotiations. However, the EU has argued that its own goods have higher environmental standards which justify the restrictions on free trade.

Mr Prescott, whose departmental responsibilities include the environment, made this clear last week, saying that all car manufacturers selling in Europe had to sign up to a fuel efficiency agreement.

European consumers could choose fridges and freezers marked energy efficient: “ US manufacturers ignore these measures at their peril, and Europe will introduce more measures in the future.”

Another minister put it more strongly yesterday saying: “If Bush wants to trample over international measures to clean up the environment, he should not be able to expect Europe to let America import its gas-guzzling cars or its energy- guzzling refrigerators.”

Mr Blair knows that any clash with the American Government before the coming general election will be exploited by the Tories, who have already sought to drive a wedge between Downing Street and the new Republican Administration over European plans for a rapid reaction force.

Dowing Street believes the best way to win the Americans back over is by cajoling and making clear the merits of the case, rather than resorting to threats.