It just gets better and better

Wild.

GEORGE Bush's administration has called on US companies in Britain to relocate jobs to America in an astonishing move that could trigger a major trade war.

US-based multinationals have been told they will receive compensation from American trade authorities if they cancel contracts in Britain and take jobs home, according to CBI director-general Digby Jones.

The allegations come only a day before Bush arrives in London for his controversial State visit and escalate the storm of protest he has already caused by slapping big protectionist tariffs on European steel imports.

Speaking at the CBI's annual conference in Birmingham, Jones said: 'Three chief executives of American companies investing in Britain have told me to my face that they have been told to close down, bring their stuff home and make it in the US.'

He said the companies were major employers in defence or manufacturing.

Jones continued: 'Whether flouting international law with their steel tariffs or telling their companies to come home, this bullying affects Britain and British jobs.

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No wonder they've been so over the top with their demands for security on this visit.

What the hell are they thinking?

This is just pretty freaking incredible.

Georgie's "special friend" just took it up the tube again. What's he getting out of this? Wait a minute - he was supposed to be getting contracts in Iraq. Is that going to be the trade-off? And if it is, can they convince all those angry Brits that it'll all be okay before something more than an effigy gets dragged through Trafalgar?

This just gets better and better.

And if it's America pulling a fast one on the Brits, trying to stave off results of threatened European trade sanctions, I'm going back to my earlier theory...Junior's about to bite the big one.

Hope we don't have to go down with him.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

Update December 3, '03: Follow-up to this story is here.