Tim Montgomerie observes that the FCO now stands for Foreign and Commerce Office. David Cameron
is determined to conduct British foreign policy in our economic interest. And, in that spirit, he is off to charm India in the hope of gaining access to that enormous emerging market –
last week’s magazine has exhaustive coverage of the trip.
Tim also claims that the Foreign Office won’t like this ‘redirection of their mission’. I’m not so sure. From what I hear, the Foreign Office is loving it; it’s just like old times. The FO was marginalised under the previous government; Labour cut staff in embassies and consulates around the globe. The coalition has attempted to depart from Labour’s ‘ethical foreign policy’; they have not achieved anything yet but the Foreign Office is resurgent,
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