A fishy fight

If we sent warships over to Iceland last time we had a bust-up about fish in the 1970s, what are we going to do now that we’re arguing over billions of pounds?

The Icelandic President refused this morning to sign a bill that would see cash handed to UK depositors whose money sank when Icesave went down.

The nation’s PM has since said the money will be paid but it seems a referendum may have to be held.

The whole situation could now present one of those “events, dear boy, events” opportunities for Gordon Brown.

If he limply states, without getting results, that Iceland must carry-out the EU’s will and hand the money over, it will make him look immeasurably weak.

But if a large part of the cash can be salvaged and the PM can make it look like he had something to do with it, there will be a lot of grateful depositors and he’ll be able to claim to be a fixer.

And it all comes right at the start of an election campaign – good stuff.