Debt crisis: Brown takes swipe at leaders

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Published Aug 8, 2011

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Gordon Brown blamed France and Germany for causing the new financial meltdown on Sunday, accusing them of failing to listen to his warnings about the EU debt crisis.

The former Labour prime minister said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Premier Nicolas Sarkozy had “thrown away” the chance of a recovery by drawing up an inadequate rescue package for Greece. He said “economic necessity was sacrificed to what was politically expedient”.

Brown also took a swipe at Barack Obama, saying the US President’s refusal to sanction a new economic stimulus, raise taxes or cut spending is “choking off yet another potential engine of world growth”.

Brown claimed the action of leaders contrasted with his attempts to get to grips with the previous credit crunch in 2008, when he helped coordinate the international response.

In a dig at David Cameron, who spoke to Sarkozy by phone at the weekend, Brown said: “No number of weekend phone calls can solve what is a financial, macroeconomic and fiscal crisis rolled into one.” - Daily Mail

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