New recruits are up and running

Date: 12/06/1997

A MONTH is a long time in European politics, particularly for observers at the Euro-feast: so many delegations to keep tabs on, so many EU policy positions to monitor.

Voicebox is therefore pleased to launch a new instant diary service for readers, a detailed analysis of one Euro-month in the life of a member state selected at random.

We start with the new kid on the block, the UK's Labour administration, which despatched its first pioneering politician to Brussels on 5 May, just four days after taking office...

May 5 - Prime Minister Tony Blair's new minister for Europe arrives in Brussels only hours after being appointed. Journalists scrap profiles of demure former Euro MP Joyce Quin when the Euro-minister turns out to be a man. Doug Henderson announces a “fresh start” for the UK in Europe, but also warns of “tough talking”. Political analysts dissect his incisive comments while IGC regulars ask: “Doug Who?”

May 6 - Doug Who? is still in Brussels and turns out to be the front runner after all, dashing off for a jog in the park, a move which generates real interest from his colleagues, particularly the athletic Swedes, whose Intergovernmental Conference negotiator vows to join him next time. This is a diplomatic breakthrough in EU relations.

May 7 - The new British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook visits Paris in the morning and Bonn in the afternoon, accompanied by Doug Who?. Cook announces a fresh start and says he is determined to make the UK one of the three leading players in Europe alongside Germany and France. This particularly upsets the Italians and effectively reverses Doug Who?'s jogging coup.

May 8 - Cook fall-out continues. EU Fisheries Commissioner Emma Bonino, a fiery Italian, jumps up and down in Brussels and asks if Mr Cook understands that the EU is a club of equals.

May 9 - Prime Minister Blair comes face to face with his first post-election EU politician when Dutch Premier Wim Kok goes to London. Blair announces a “fresh start”, but says he will put Britain “first, second and last” in Europe. “So what's new?” asks Kok.

May 12 - Chancellor Gordon Brown goes to Brussels and announces a “fresh start” in Europe. He returns to London triumphant after Internal Market Commissioner Mario Monti says that it is okay for the UK to cut VAT on domestic heating fuel even though it runs counter to EU policy. This is ground-breaking stuff.

May 12 - Agriculture Minister Jack Cunningham visits Brussels. His first words to journalists are that Labour is intent on a “fresh start” in Europe. Asked about the plight of Scottish fishermen over quota-hopping, he says he can see Scotland from his constituency, so he knows how they feel. He does not go jogging.

May 13 - Cook, accompanied by Defence Secretary George Robertson, goes back to Paris, this time for talks on the Western European Union. He confirms Labour's “fresh start”, but says defence is a sovereign matter. It is the first mention of UK sovereignty under the new administration and is dismissed as pillar talk. He announces that Britain is rejoining UNESCO, triggering urgent enquiries about what it is and why the UK left it.

May 16 - Doug Who? is back again and goes jogging in Maastricht. He says the UK must keep its frontier controls, presumably to keep out invading hordes of pavement-pounding amateur runners.

May 20 - Cook again, this time in The Hague, for a 'conclave' of foreign ministers on that new treaty. Cook says the UK must keep its frontier controls. Asylum and immigration policy are no-go areas for Brussels too. He does not look like he has been jogging for some time, but that could be because yesterday he was in Washington. How does he do it?

May 23 - Blair at his first summit, in Noordwijk. Photos in the sunshine with fellow EU leaders. This is truly a fresh start. Everyone wants to get near Blair, to feel the electoral magic. But Blair is obviously cheesed off after a hot day discussing weighted voting and how many Commissioners there should be. He says that Europe should stop navel-gazing and start concentrating on issues that matter to people, presumably things like jogging. He says sorry to Italian Premier Romano Prodi for Cook's failure to include Italy in his remarks in Paris about Europe's big players.

May 26 - Home Secretary Jack Straw visits Brussels. He is warned that journalists are sick and tired of hearing about Labour's “fresh start”, so he launches his press conference by announcing a “new beginning”. Very witty.

May 27 - Blair, in Paris with Cook to sign a new NATO-Russia treaty, is told by Russian President Boris Yeltsin that he has “good eyes”. US President Bill Clinton gives Blair the thumbs up. This boy can do no wrong. He takes Wim Kok off to the British embassy, where they sit on the terrace in glorious weather chatting for hours. Kok forgets to settle the Amsterdam Treaty difficulties and instead asks Blair for the secret of his magnificent election victory. Blair reveals, strictly entre eux, that regular jogging did the trick. And having good eyes helped.

May 28 - The Dutch government hoists the warning flags, saying there will be no “unilateral concessions” to the UK on borders at the Amsterdam summit. Kok has suddenly remembered Blair's “first, second and last” remark and is getting nasty.

June 2 - Cook, not to be confused with Kok, is in Luxembourg for Amsterdam Treaty talks. He offends his hosts by not saying the UK wants to be a big player in the EU alongside Luxembourg.

June 3 - Cook decides to go to Italy to have another go at saying sorry over his Paris remarks. Besides, he has been more than six hours without changing cities.

June 4 - Blair's Euro honeymoon is coming to an end as Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn announces plans for more works councils and Downing Street warns of battles ahead to defend labour market flexibility.

June 5 - More trouble. Jack Cunningham delivers an ultimatum to Brussels: no more EU beef will be allowed into the UK from next month unless tougher health standards are applied in other member states. This is more like the good old days! June 6 - Blair goes to see Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Bonn, deliberately timing his visit to avoid meals. He is not a fan of grilled pig's nose and soggy cabbage.

June 9 - Brown goes to Luxembourg. He stays at the Intercontinental Hotel and complains to reception that the key card to his room does not work. It fits the slot, but will not unlock the door. Brown is too tired to appreciate the metaphor.

Next week: France - Prime Minister Lionel Jospin promises a “commencement frais” in Europe ...