G20 summits are usually turgid affairs, but this one has some (limited) potential.
Relations between the White House and Britain and the White House and Europe have been frosty of late. Afghanistan, BP, the Falklands, Merkel and Sarkozy’s irritation at Obama’s
personal and political aloofness, all of these have been contentious.
Diplomatic tension has now developed an economic arm. The broadly centre right governments of Britain, France and Germany are committed to cutting public spending now. Each has introduced an austerity programme, and Cameron has made retrenchment is his international cause. Obama still stands for stimulus.
The President said: ‘This weekend in Toronto, I hope we can build on this progress [in previous G20 meetings] by coordinating our efforts to promote economic growth, to pursue financial reform, and to strengthen the global economy.
‘We need to act in concert for a simple reason.
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