Stitch-up in progress?

Giscard "in town" so Blair meets him

Sources: AFP, No 10 Press Briefing

Tony Blair met Valery Giscard d'Estaing privately today at 10 Downing Street. Giscard was “in town”, so the prime minister “will receive him," the prime ministers official spokesman (PMOS) said. "They agreed to meet up. It is just a private meeting."

Asked why the official spokesman had not informed journalists that the meeting would be taking place, the PMOS said that it wasn't our policy to brief on every single meeting which the Prime Minister had during the day. “We tend to brief on those which we thought would be of significant interest to the media”.

When it was put to him that a meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Convention on the Future of Europe would obviously be of interest to the media, the PMOS pointed out that the Convention had now completed its work and was therefore no longer in existence.

Asked if that meant that they would not talk about the text of the Constitution, the PMOS said he had no doubt that the issue would be raised. However, this should be seen as a routine meeting and was nothing out of the ordinary.

That is the official line. Giscard just happened to be in town, so he popped in to see Tony, who no doubt made him a cup of coffee and let him use the loo, after which they had a little chat about this constitution thingy. And if you believe that, you will believe anything.