Britain is right to play tit-for-tat with Brussels over the EU ambassador

It is petty, small-minded, mean-spirited, and childish. It is certainly not difficult to think of a few adjectives to describe the UK’s decision to refuse diplomatic status to the European Union’s mission in London. Diplomats, and European ones in particular, take matters of status, protocol and etiquette very seriously, and the snub looks, on the surface at least, designed to diminish our closest neighbour. The ambassador for, say, Mozambique, or Honduras, has full diplomatic recognition, but not the person representing the 440 million strong trading bloc on the other side of the English channel. Wars have been started over lesser slights. 

But hold on. Sure, you can argue that the UK is being silly. But so is the EU. Lorries are being searched for illegal British sandwiches. Fish are being checked for any kind of disease. Musicians could have to apply for dozens of visas. There is nothing wrong with playing tit-for-tat.