Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10LONDON414
2010-02-23 18:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy London
Cable title:  

LEFT-LEANING EUROPEAN LEADERS RALLY BEHIND GORDON

Tags:  ECON PGOV PREL SP UK GR NO EU 
pdf how-to read a cable
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P 231809Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5053
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 0001
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000414 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2020
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL SP UK GR NO EU
SUBJECT: LEFT-LEANING EUROPEAN LEADERS RALLY BEHIND GORDON
BROWN

REF: LONDON 313

Classified By: Economic Counselor Kathleen Doherty for reasons 1.4 (b),
(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000414

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2020
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL SP UK GR NO EU
SUBJECT: LEFT-LEANING EUROPEAN LEADERS RALLY BEHIND GORDON
BROWN

REF: LONDON 313

Classified By: Economic Counselor Kathleen Doherty for reasons 1.4 (b),
(d)


1. (SBU) Summary. An international conference on jobs had
the feel of a campaign rally for Prime Minister Brown, with
several left-leaning European leaders strongly praising Brown
for rescuing the world from the economic crisis. The theme
of the February 19 conference held in London by Progressive
Policy Network, a UK-based left-of-center thinktank, was to
discuss a socially progressive approach to generate jobs and
economic growth; the prime ministers of Greece, Spain, and
Norway were among the high-level participants. Brown opened
the conference with an uncharacteristically impassioned and
emotive speech, which focused predominantly on the Labour
Party's plans to address Britain's economic woes and the
continued need for concerted global action. Despite the
prominent list of speakers, the event was unnoticed by the UK
media. End Summary.

UK and European Political Heavyweights at Conference
-------------- --------------


2. (SBU) Progressive Policy Network, an international
left-of-center thinktank, sponsored an international
"Progressive Governance Conference" on February 19 in London.
The conference's theme was "Jobs, industry and opportunity:
Growth strategies after the crisis", and featured many
important British and European leaders such as Gordon Brown;
UK Foreign Secretary David Milliband; UK Business Secretary
Lord Peter Mandelson; the Greek, Spanish and Norwegian prime
ministers; WTO director-general Pascal Lamy among others.
The conference focused on advancing an international
progressive agenda to tackle economic issues throughout
Europe. The political leaders engaged the audience on issues
related to a more responsible international financial
regulatory system, further regional (EU) and global
integration in terms of trade and market regulation, a strong
role for government to stimulate job growth and others.

Gordon Brown Opens with "Campaign Speech"
--------------


3. (SBU) Gordon Brown's opening remarks hit on several key
Labour party policies, sounding more like a campaign speech
aimed squarely at the upcoming British elections than a
speech for a progressive internationalist conference. Aside
from calls for a "world constitution" for the global
financial economy and general support for more global
coordination at the G8 and G20 level, Brown's speech focused
on Labour party policies to address domestic economic
troubles. Echoing themes from Labour's September 2009
conference, Brown outlined his economic agenda: 1) financial
sector reform; 2) sustained economic recovery; 3) economic
growth based on modern, low-carbon industrial investments;
and 4) guaranteeing social mobility. Brown's speech was
unusually emotive, spurring a generally positive reaction
from the audience. Between sessions, several participants
commented on their surprise at such an impassioned speech by
the normally reserved prime minister.

European Leaders Show Support for Gordon Brown
-------------- -


4. (SBU) The three visiting prime ministers from Spain,
Greece and Norway all offered effusive praise for Gordon
Brown in their remarks. Each PM credited Gordon Brown with
mobilizing a globally-concerted fiscal response to avert a
much deeper economic crisis in late 2008/2009. Spanish PM
Jose Luis Zapatero, who also attended the 2009 Labour Party
conference, predicted that economists thirty years from now
would single out Gordon Brown as the person who "saved the
world from the first global financial crisis". Norwegian PM
Jens Stoltenberg praised Brown's "initiative" to get the
world's governments to take fiscal action at the height of
the crisis. The newly elected Greek PM George Papandreou
said Brown "gets credit" for convincing the world to increase
fiscal spending.


5. (C/NF) Comment. Brown no doubt sees the effusive European
praise as validation of his economic policies and his
leadership both globally and within the EU. However, his
European colleagues' support went largely unnoticed in the UK
press, and will likely have no impact on Labour's standing in
the polls (reftel). With Brown's government fast approaching
an election where a Labour victory is far from certain, the
fact that Brown may not be on the other side of the
negotiating table in a few months time also won't be lost on
European leaders. End comment.

LONDON 00000414 002 OF 002



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