UK’s mystery party-pooper

Date: 24/04/1997

Which of the UK's three ambassadors in Brussels thinks a UK election party on 1 May, being organised by the British Chamber of Commerce, will be “too political” for him?

Two out of the three have said they will attend if they can.

But the third, whose identity has not been revealed, declined the invitation. Surely it is not the British permanent representative out at NATO, or the newly-arrived David Colvin, Her Majesty's flag-waver at the bilateral embassy? Could it be Sir Stephen Wall, head of the UK representation to the EU?

If Sir Stephen is the party- pooper, it could be because he will be on stand-by while the votes are being counted, ready to throw out all the anchors and put the British EU machinery into full reverse thrust in the event of a Labour victory.

No time left for partying if you're in charge of rewriting the rules of the Euro-game for a new administration.

The problems confronting civil servants in the field at a time of a (possible) change of government remind Entre Nous of the very distinguished former UK ambassador at UKREP who was asked in the run-up to a previous British general election if he could possibly serve masters on a different mission after years of presenting the Tory approach to Europe.

Instead of laughing off the difficulties, he frankly admitted that he would find it very difficult to change tack and try to represent the views of a then Euro-hostile party.

This same ex-ambassador Sir Michael Butler has spent the last few months as Labour's principle adviser on Europe. How times - and political parties - change.