Gordon's ghost

The ghost of Gordon Brown took human form at the European Council in the shape of Jon Cunliffe. Until very recently, Cunliffe was the second most senior official at the UK Treasury. But two weeks ago it was announced that he would be the head of the European secretariat in the Cabinet Office, co-ordinating EU policy across the UK civil service. So he came to Brussels for the summit as Brown's eyes and ears. The last two holders of this post (Kim Darroch, who is about to become the UK's ambassador to the EU, and Stephen Wall, who was the UK's ambassador to the EU) have come from the Foreign Office. Just to make clear that the Treasury is now taking charge, Cunliffe's job title has been extended to make him head of international economic affairs as well as Europe. At the same time Jeremy Heywood has become head of domestic policy at the Cabinet Office and he too originates from the Treasury. (Though more recently he was seconded to head UK Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley and before that was head of Tony Blair's policy unit.) Oh, and the head of the civil service, Gus O'Donnell, is a Treasury man, too. Is it any wonder that the Foreign Office feels sensitive about the creation of an EU diplomatic service? It has enough trouble winning domestic battles against the Treasury.