Ian Whitting, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Reykjavik, refused to comment on why British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has yet to respond to a letter sent by his Icelandic counterpart two months ago.
Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir sent Brown a letter on the 28 August concerning Icesave. In the letter she suggested that the two premiers should meet in person and asked that the British government show Iceland understanding over the Icesave issue. Although two months have since passed, Brown has yet to respond to the letter, Visir.is reports.
Visir sent the ambassador an email asking him to explain why Gordon Brown has not yet answered the letter. “No Comment” was the ambassador’s reply.
Johanna Sigurdardottir mentioned last week that she was still waiting for communication from Downing Street.
How about picking up the telephone and calling him?
Remember that BT advert “It´s good to talk”. Probably what Geir Haarde should have done when the shxt first started going down. Another classic example of the Icelandic government putting their heads in the sand and hoping things will go away
If you’ve seen my handwritten letters, you’ll know why I haven’t written back. And my telephone skills are even worse. If you don’t believe me:
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Gordon_Brown_in_hot_water_over_condolence_letter&in_article_id=765868
I wonder if she bothered to write it in English.
And in answer to the previous post, perhaps she is continuing Geir Haarde’s self-imposed refusal to speak to Brown. The mind boggles!!
Mr. Brown doesnt know or care where Iceland is…will be…or not be….the guy has more problems to worry about than Dracular with garlic..so dont expect him to answer a letter from the invisible Iceland PM…..suggestion Miss Iceland PM….go there…or pick up the phone…HELLO..
Unfortunately, Jóhanna needs to brush up on her Ensku before she can smooth talk ol´Gordie!
Gordon Brown = joke of the century!.
You’ve got to read Brown’s telephone conversation (published today) with the mother of the soldier who died. My favourite quote was “I cannot believe I have been brought down to the level of having an argument with the Prime Minister of my own country”…
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Afghanistan-Transcript-Of-PM-Gordon-Browns-Telephone-Call-To-Jacqui-Janes-Whose-Son-Was-Killed/Article/200911215448445
Remamber this..
“On Jun 30, 2009, Vilhjalm Antonsen said:
10 DOWNING STREET
LONDON SW1A 2AA
23 June 2009
Dear Prime Minister
I am delighted that our great countries have reached an agreement regarding the sensitive ICESAVE dispute. However, it has been brought to my attention that conformation from the Icelandic Parliament has not been assured.
Let me make it clear that should the Icelandic parliament reject our agreement, such a humiliation would not be easily tolerated by Great Britain. I am sure you understand that we consider parliamentary support only as a formality in diplomatic relations between countries.
Should the Icelandic Parliament reject the agreement I ensure you that there will be no further negotiations. You must understand that my government can not appear weak when dealing with a country of only 300,000 citizens. We will therefore be obliged to use our influence within the European Union as well as the International Monetary Fund to slow down any aid or development. This might result in cancelling loans and postponing the Icelandic application for EU membership. More serious consequences would follow with gradual isolation of Iceland from the international community.
It will eventually be realized that the Icelandic parliament will have no other options than to confirm this agreement but the time wasted until conformation is indeed unfortunate.
I am deeply sorry for sharing such unpleasant concerns, but I wish you to be fully informed on the vital importance of having our differences solved quickly and easily, so I hope you are able to influence your respected members of parliament. Only if necessary, you may share the contents of my letter to relevant parliament members on a confidential basis.
Let me at last ensure you that it is the full intention of Great Britain to maintain the strong friendship between the two nations. We will certainly acknowledge special interests of Iceland regarding its application for membership in the European Union.
I believe that our two countries will become even stronger allies in the future as we sail through these difficult times.
Yours sincerely,
Gordon Brown
(sign)”
—————–
We decided it probably false because of spelling errors, this looks like something Brown would write and his way of thinking, the threats and his stile of doing busyness fit to what we have seen since this was posted here.
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/06/26/rejecting-icesave-deal-could-be-akin-to-declaring-war/
“I cannot believe I have been brought down to the level of having an argument with the Prime Minister of my own country”…
One tough mom, she mopped the floor with Brown :)
>One tough mom, she mopped the floor with Brown :)
Not really. I’d like to see anyone else do better in that sort of situation. Her son lost two legs, a hand, a chunk of his face and then bled to death. I don’t think anything anyone said was going to change how she felt.
what about talking about the forgotten victims of the icelandic bank on the isle of man who many have lost homes, business, pension incomes, education fees , peoples lives reduced to poverty over this. Oh, yes its good to ignore isnt it?
Well, what would you like anyone to do Amanda? If you were being fair.
The parental guarantee is, unlike the EEA deposit guarantee, undeniably a guarantee solely backed by a private company. That company is in administration. Therefore, the guarantee joins the line of creditors.
Whether the emergency law holds, leaving less money for the guarantee, or not is up to various legal systems. No amount of political pressure will make Iceland shift on that because they simply cannot afford to without forcing 300,000 people into exactly that poverty that you mention.
The Isle of Man government has presumably made the decision that it would not be worth the cost of reimbursing 100% of the deposits. It’s not for the British government to tell them that that is the wrong decision.
So a meeting between the UK & Icelandic PMs would be unlikely to help your situation. Or am I missing something?
>>Or am I missing something?
Apparently some depositors still think that IoM is in the UK – and the EU for that matter.
They are correct, why didn’t she try to call the Prime Minister and ask for his answer immediately. It’s an important factor that we should communicate with each other most especially if it’s concerning the economy.