The Telegraph (UK) keeps a straight face while reporting Blair blocked ship deal to snub Chirac:
Tony Blair blocked a decision to award a French company a £3 billion contract to build the Royal Navy's two new aircraft carriers because of anger at President Jacques Chirac's behaviour over Iraq and Zimbabwe.I wonder if M Chirac would like some cheese with his whine?
The industry journal Defence Analysis will say today that the reason for snubbing the French company was "purely political".
M Chirac's decision to invite President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe to Paris for a summit on Africa this month in defiance of EU travel sanctions proved to be "the last straw".
The disclosure that Mr Blair intervened to ensure that Britain's BAE Systems was made the prime contractor will increase tensions between him and M Chirac at today's Anglo-French summit at the resort of Le Touquet, near Calais.
