Is Brown trying to blow it?

Gordon Brown, according to The Financial Times, has called for "sweeping reforms to competition policy in the EU", suggesting that an independent authority could take responsibility for investigations into key markets.

This is to be the central part of Labour's forthcoming business manifesto, to be published next week. It argues for competition policy at a Europe-wide level to be set independently of any political influence. The manifesto will say: "We will propose that European competition policy is more pro-actively focused on driving up competition."

If Brown really wanted to spook the French, this seems to be the way to do it.