Thursday 29 December 2016

David Cameron Tipped To Become A NATO Secretary General Role

NATO

David Cameron is being considered for the role of Nato Secretary General, according to reports.

The former Primer Minister is understood to be the most likely British contender for Europe's top defence posting, which comes tax-free salary of €260,624 (£222,019).

Theresa May's advisers believe Britain's best chances of securing the role is to put forward an ex-Prime Minister as "more recently former Prime Ministers have won out over foreign or defence ministers", a source told the Daily Mail.

Mr Cameron's friends are also said to be keen on the former Conservative leader returning to frontline politics.

Mrs May has pledged to play a larger role in Nato since the Brexit vote and has told the current head of Nato that other members of the alliance must pay their way amid concerns that Donald Trump could withdraw his support

Last month she met with Jens Stoltenberg in Downing Street for the first time since Mr Trump's election. Mr Stoltenberg is expected to finish his term in either 2018 or 2019.

During the US election campaign Mr Trump criticised Nato members for failing to meet their obligation to spend 2 per cent of national income on defence. He suggested that, under his presidency, the US may refuse to come to their aid unless they "pay their bills".

Britain has also raised repeated concerns that other members of Nato are failing to spend enough on defence while enjoying the protection of the alliance.

Britain has held the position of Nato Secretary General three times, with Lord Ismay serving as the first general secretary from 1952 to 1957, then Lord Carrington from 1984 to 1988 and Lord Robertson from 1999 to 2003.

One member of the Cabinet told the Daily Mail: "We've got to find a role for him - he has so much to offer. We have got to get him batting for Britain again".

Friends close to Mr Cameron have said it is crucial for the UK to get the Nato job if it wants to "play a greater role in European security and to show EU allies that we want to play a constructive post-Brexit role on the Continent".

One told the newspaper: "The key at this stage is to flag high-level interest in leader level conversations and to show that our eventual candidate is visible and acceptable to everyone.

"That means a would-be candidate would need to start talking about the right issues and show up at various conferences such as the Munich Security Conference and Davos". A Nato source said Britain is in a strong position as it "has weight as militarily the largest and most significant country in the alliance, besides the US".

He added: "Securing the support of the US will be important to getting the post. It's not necessarily essential at the outset, but the US view in the end carries a lot of weight with other allies and the final decision has to be by consensus of the 28 allies."

Mr Stoltenberg started his four-year term in 2014 and could be replaced in 2018 through closed informal diplomatic discussions between allies.


SHARE THIS

Author:

Etiam at libero iaculis, mollis justo non, blandit augue. Vestibulum sit amet sodales est, a lacinia ex. Suspendisse vel enim sagittis, volutpat sem eget, condimentum sem.

0 comments: