Liz Truss was a laughing stock in 2014:
And now the FT reports that:
Talks between Tokyo and London over a new trade deal have hit a snag after Liz Truss, UK trade secretary, insisted on bringing Stilton cheese into the negotiations. Both sides came close to an agreement in London last week, but Ms Truss is holding out for a better deal for British food, with a particular focus on attempts to boost sales of blue cheese in Japan.
And just to get this in perspective, they add:
A symbolic concession on cheese may not cause many repercussions: Britain sold £18m of blue cheese – mainly Stilton – around the world last year, but only £102,000 worth to Japan, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. A milder version of the cheese is created for Asian markets.
It does not inspire confidence that memories of a poor conference speech can create such issues now.
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God help us.
Indeed
I was told by a former HMI (Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools) that when she was at the dept. for education, she wrote the curriculum requirements for a subject ( I won’t say which one) and a chief HMI wrote to her boss, Micheal Gove, saying he would be ‘highly embarrassed’ if this was made public.
Apparently, Sarah Vine (Mrs Gove) has only just discovered that Bakewell (of the tarts fame) is an actual place! Who knew?
It’s outside the M25 and you can’t fly there, easily
“OK..” says Liz “we’ll chlorinate the Stilton if that’s what the bloody Japs want to do a trade deal!”
And if they don’t, well… hard cheese 🙂
year or so ago, partner was in London – me to her “bring back some white Cheshire will you love” (reputedly developed in Roman times – it you want to see a human chainsaw in action – put some in front of a Greek). Anyway, after trawling plenty of shops – no white cheshire and very little British cheese. Hmm… odd. I have very little time for morons in general & tories in particular – but perhaps there was a germ of a point in “Trussed by her own petard” speech?
In the case of the trade negotiations, back in 2016 and 2017 I was in Tokyo talking to people involved in the Eu – Japan trade agreement (director general level) & there was total incomprehension on Brexit. They just did not understand. & I was unable to explain (how do you explain collective stupidity coupled to lies?). The Japanese recognised that they would have to at some point open negotiations with the UK (you could almost hear the collective groan in the room at the prospect). They felt, naturally that the EU-Japan agreement had a point. But this could not be extended to a Japan – UK agreement and they did not relish the propsect of negotiating with a bunch of (as they saw it) 3rd rate politicos. Naturally this was all expressed in a nuanced fashion. For the avoidance of doubt – I’ve done business for more than 30 years in Japan with a range of organisations & knew/know people up to cabinet level and main board level.
I don’t want to lower the tone but Truss’s real area of expertise is black pudding:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPhpCjzWuNY
And of course the only reason she is in the Cabinet is to make the rest of them seem competent by comparison.
🙂