Mandelson the biggest WTO loser

CONTROVERSY has raged over whether a better deal could have been worked for Irish farmers when the end of export refunds was agreed in WTO talks last weekend.

But there’s only one guaranteed loser - Peter Mandelson, the European Trade Commissioner.

Even his own have turned against him, with the Financial Times in London saying he could have played his cards more adeptly, allowed the EU to become almost totally isolated over farm trade, and failed in his attempts to focus the agenda on other aspects of the negotiations.