Posted on 02/19/2009 7:21:56 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Peter Mandelson attacks Starbucks chief over UK economy comments
Lord Mandelson, the UK Business Secretary, has launched an extraordinary foul-mouthed attack on the chief of the Starbucks coffee empire Howard Schultz over the British economy.
By Philip Sherwell in New York
Last Updated: 4:59PM GMT 18 Feb 2009
Howard Schultz, chief executive of the international coffee store giant, told US television business network CNBC, that "the UK is in a spiral" with "very very poor" consumer confidence.
At a reception during a visit to New York, a clearly furious Lord Mandelson made no attempt to hide his anger at what he viewed as the latest example of a prominent US business figure denigrating the British economy.
"Why should I have that guy running down the country?" he told The Daily Telegraph. "Who the **** is he?" He then added: "How the hell are they doing?" – a clear dig at the economic woes of a company that has announced the closure of nearly 1,000 unprofitable stores in recent months.
Lord Mandelson had heard Mr Schultz's comments as he waited to be interviewed on the same station by Maria Bartiromo, the glamorous CNBC presenter nicknamed 'The Money Honey' in US gossip columns.
She had been speaking to the Starbucks boss about the launch of Via Ready Brew, an instant coffee. Discussing the international business climate, Mr Schultz said: "The place that concerns us the most is western Europe and specifically the UK. The UK is in a spiral.
"The thing that is really troubling is that it took about a year and a half for consumer confidence to really fracture in the US. But the thing has got so quick in terms of how bad it's got in western Europe."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Ping!
The UK has been obsessed about its “Special Relationship” with this country so long, that they take it for granted that they can insult, abuse and generally run down the place, and act like they own it.
Mandelson would do well to go back to the UK, and stay there. If hes doing so great, he wouldnt be here, begging for handouts.
If he hadn’t had that reaction fewer people would have heard the comments
As my grandmother would have said, “A hit dog hollers.” He obviously had no defense to remarks that were not intended as Brit bashing, but simply trying to truthfully answer a question. Of course that concept is as foreign to Brit politicians as to our own, both of whom believe they are above being questioned by mere peasants like us.
At least the Brits can throw their poltroons out. We have to live with our stinking mess for at least two years before we can even try to make a change. Unfortunately, the Tory leaders at the moment are offering a worse choice than McCain offered us.
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