When Chris is more likely than David
So I said that Milliband was not even the most likely 
Enlgishman to get the post of High Rep of the EU; Milliband's cards have already been marked by Poland over a stramash which centres on his comments about a Polish MEP in the same Euro grouping of Conservative MEPs.
If the High Rep was to come from England then there is another who would have a better chance – Chris Patten. Go on cast you mind back. You remember Chris Patten, tory chap who manned the last post in the empire.
Patten is a past EU commissioner for external affairs and was pipped by Barrosso in getting the post and President of the Commission as he lacked support from Germany and the French lobby were dead against him.
But times have changed and Patten offers a very interesting proposition. The Poles are now a diplomatic force to be reckoned with in the EU and Patten is talking their language in advocating being tough of Gazprom. Couple that with Sarkozy and Merkel needs to get the UK more onside with the EU. They can read the signs as well as anyone and know that Brown is finished as Prime Minister and the liklihood is that they will have to deal with Cameron as UK PM...and he has moved the Conservatives to a more and more antagonistic position towards the EU.
In Patten they would have a figure who is himself a Tory but is clearly pro-Europe. As well as offering a face to the world it would be a signal to PM Cameron to play nice with the boys and girls on the continent.
Does Patten stand a chance? Only if the UK negotiators play offended at the knock-back of Blair for President and will instead settle for Patten as High Rep. Only then would that appointment even start to become feasible.
Who are the runners for the post of High Rep? Well that'll have to be a post for another day...
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