European Commission President , Jose Manuel compares Blair

[Joe Chi Minh]

to the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Below is a snippet from an article in today's Guardian on the subject:

"Britain's isolation over its £3.2bn EU budget rebate was highlighted yesterday when Tony Blair was told to stop acting like the Sheriff of Nottingham, who famously stole from the poor to line the pockets of the rich.

Amid reports that Britain is planning to slash funds to eastern Europe, the European commission president warned the prime minister that he must be prepared to make sacrifices.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the European commission president, "has made it very clear that he does not expect the British presidency to take the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham, taking from the poor to give to the rich", a spokesman said...".

There is a real irony here, because the Sheriff of Nottingham was one of the reporbates who rail-roaded the incorporation of those countries into the EU, since they would provide a wonderful source of cheap labour!

They furriners must drive him stark-raving bonkers. Just as he thought they had become as socio-economically degenerate as himself, they go and pull a stunt like that! Tee hee! Go Jose! Whack the sheriff with your staff, good and proper!