The rebranding of Britain by New Labour has run into a distinctly old Labour problem in Brussels. Cool Britannia's latest manifestation has left trade unions in the EU institutions hot under the collar following the decision of the British presidency to use the hall of the Council of Ministers headquarters as a showroom for a luxury car maker. The plush marble lobby of the Justus Lipsius building is now graced by a to-die-for metallic maroon Jaguar XK8 - retailing at a mere £50,000 - and hard-pressed council officials have to walk past this display of opulence and sexual prowess several times a day to get to their offices. Their union has written to the secretary general of the council, Mr Jurgen Trumpf, demanding that it be removed immediately - or at least covered up for the open day last Saturday, in case the ordinary members of the Belgian public on their guided tour of the headquarters of the People's Europe might get the wrong idea.
"In the context of the ongoing dispute about our terms of employment, the staff committee regrets the FALSE IMAGE of opulence among officials that this car fosters to the outside world," a leaflet from the committee complains. "What next, a cheese fair?" it asks, noting that, in any case, the car firm is majority US-owned.
In its letter to Mr Trumpf the committee expresses its stupefaction at his willingness to go along with this commercial venture, warning that future presidencies will also demand to use the facilities for similar ventures. "The independence of the council risks to be seriously compromised," the letter says. The committee says it reserves the right to go to the press with the issue. Ooops!
A spokeswoman for the British presidency said the car's display was to mark the visit by EU ambassadors, at their British counterpart's invitation, to Coventry as part of a traditional presidency hospitality trip. All the costs of installing the car had been met by the Jaguar company whose factory they would visit, she said. The ambassador, Sir Stephen Wall, said: "My colleagues all know London. I want them to see the heart of England, a city which symbolises reconciliation in Europe and is an exciting example of economic regeneration."
On Saturday the car remained very much on view and, asked if Mr Trumpf would be sympathetic to the union's concerns, a very junior council official would only say "Get real!"
