Downing Street Says

Asked if the Prime Minister would have any bilaterals in Berlin today and what the Prime Minister’s response would be to the question of whether he would stand in the way of David Miliband taking the job of High Representative, the PMS replied that there might be a series of what the Americans called brush-bys but there were no official bilaterals planned.

On the second point, the PMS said that the Prime Minister would take the opportunity as appropriate to continue to promote the candidacy of Tony Blair, as the Prime Minister believed that he was the right candidate to be President of the Council. If and when Tony Blair’s candidacy was announced he would be four-square behind him.

In relation to the Foreign Secretary, the PMS replied that David Miliband himself had said that he was not running for the job of High Representative. The Prime Minister believed that the Foreign Secretary was doing an excellent job and was delighted that he had made his intentions so clear.

Put that European leaders had made it clear that they wanted David Miliband to be High Representative and did not want Tony Blair to be President, the PMS said that if there was a Tony Blair candidacy, that would be what the Prime Minister would want. The PMS said that there were various views being expressed about the President’s role and he advised people to wait until the one-day summit.

Asked why the Prime Minister could not tell European leaders that David Miliband would not be available for the role of High Representative, the PMS said that it was clear from what David Miliband had said that he had ruled himself out. The PMS had not seen Tony Blair ruling himself out.

Asked if the Prime Minister would rule out nominating David Miliband, the PMS said that if the Prime Minister was not actively campaigning for David Miliband for the role, then he was not desiring for him to be a candidate; The good news was that nor was David Miliband.

Asked if he thought it was discourteous of Tony Blair not to declare himself as a candidate to the Prime Minister, the PMS said that the Prime Minister and Tony Blair had been friends for a long time and the Prime Minister was four-square behind Tony Blair as the best candidate for the UK.

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» Monday, November 9, 2009

Europe

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