Mitt Romney's trip to the UK has gone from bad to worse. It was revealed today that he described Britain as 'just a small island' that 'doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy'.
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Mitt Romney’s trip to the UK has gone from bad to worse as it was revealed today that he described Britain as ‘just a small island’ that ‘doesn’t make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy’.
The revelation makes a mockery of the racially motivated comments of a Romney advisor who claimed earlier this week that President Obama did not ‘fully appreciate’ the special relationship because he isn’t of ‘Anglo Saxon heritage’.
Romney’s trip to the UK has been blighted by a series of gaffes. A Parliamentary motions last week criticissed the role of Barclays executives in organising a $75,000 per head fundraising dinner, concerns were raised about the racial overtones of comments about Obama’s attitude towards the UK, and the presidential candidate today flip-flopped over the Olympics after previously questioning London’s preparedness.
But Foreign Policy have now revealed that in his 2010 book, No Apology, Romney wrote:
“England [sic] is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn’t make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn’t been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler’s ambitions. Yet only two lifetimes ago, Britain ruled the largest and wealthiest empire in the history of humankind. Britain controlled a quarter of the earth’s land and a quarter of the earth’s population.”
Is this series of gaffes the reason why tickets for tonights drinks reception have been slashed to just $1,000 per person?
• Romney, boss of corruption-laden Salt Lake City 02, questions our readiness to host Games 26 Jul 2012
• Romney’s ‘Anglo-Saxon’ dog whistle the latest in a string of attacks on Obama’s heritage 25 Jul 2012
• Parliamentary motion calls on Barclays’s senior staff to stop fundraising for Romney 17 Jul 2012
• Romney’s bankerlove extends as Barclays lobbyist raises $184k for Presidential campaign 16 Jul 2012
• Obscene: Romney to host $75,000 London fundraiser – hosted by a lobbyist for Barclays 11 Jul 2012
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78 Responses to “Romney: ‘Britain is just a small island that doesn’t make things people want to buy’”
Nigel Baldwin
Well, Mr Romney, for all its many faults I’d 1,000 times rather live on my little island than anywhere in the increasingly fascist minded parts of the US. And as for this “special relationship”, it’s time to say: “It’s over between us”, and for my country to stop pretending to be something it no longer is.
Heather
That is so shockingly ignorant! The Brits sacrificed everything, including most of London, fighting off Hitler until the US got around to joining the war. People compare him to aristocracy. You can see why. He just thinks he’s better than everyone, and he doesn’t understand why we don’t agree. I think he’s a cold, rich fish in a boring suit and I cannot wait for this election to end so I can (hopefully) never hear from him again.
Anonymous
To be honest though, he’s partly right. Thanks to successive governments’ disregard of manufacturing, these days Britain makes very little that the rest of the world wants to buy.
Not that I expect Mitt Romney would understand the value of an interventionist industrial policy, though…
Mark Novaky
I think they might have to quarantine Willard for ‘Foot in Mouth Disease’.
Kingbonzo
I’m desperately trying to think of the last time I used something that said ‘made in america’ on it. I can’t think of a single thing.