Mitt Romney’s Olympics gaffe overshadows visit to London

The former Massachusetts governor sought to soothe relations following his
meeting with Mr Cameron. Outside 10 Downing Street he predicted that any
minor problems would be “overshadowed by the extraordinary demonstrations of
courage, character and determination by the athletes”.

However his earlier comment had by then travelled around the world. He also
raised eyebrows by referring to Ed Miliband with the American-style
honorific “Mr Leader” and saying that he had enjoyed viewing Olympic
volleyball courts from “the backside of Downing Street”.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, later heaped more misery on Mr Romney’s
campaign by dismissing his remarks while onstage at a concert in Hyde Park
to mark the end of the Olympic torch relay. “There’s guy called Mitt
Romney who wants to know if we are ready,” Mr Johnson cried, prompting
jeers from some of the 60,000-strong crowd. “Are we ready? Yes we are!”

Commentators began referring to the Republican candidate’s day in London as a
“Romneyshambles”, a variation on the phrase “Omnishambles” frequently used
to describe the crisis-stricken Coalition. It came after a string of faux
pas on the US election campaign trail.

Mr Romney also noted outside No 10 that he had spoken to “the head of MI6”
about the situation in war-torn Syria, raising suggestions that he had
broken with convention by disclosing a secret briefing. It is also extremely
rare for Sir John to share details about British intelligence with any
politician who is not a head of state.

Patrick Mercer, a Conservative MP, said: “It is very unusual. The head of
MI6’s time is extremely precious – I wonder if this does not set a strange
precedent where other leaders of other oppositions will also want similar
briefings which can’t help Britain’s security.”

The unusual briefing prompted speculation that the UK was attempting to win Mr
Romney’s backing for a more interventionist role in Syria if he were to win
November’s presidential election.

A senior foreign policy adviser to Mr Romney told the Daily Telegraph that he
also met Sir John and Jonathan Evans, the director of MI5, during a previous
visit to London last year, and that he had given them advice on defending
the Olympics against terrorism. He is also understood to have met Sir Peter
Ricketts, the-then head of the National Security Council.

“That was really in the governor’s focus given what challenges he faced
leading the Utah Olympics after 9/11,” said the adviser, a member of his
foreign policy advisory team. The adviser claimed that Mr Romney shared a
“psychological connection” with what the intelligence chiefs were “having to
struggle with” in their preparations.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “Sir John meets many people, but we
don’t give a running commentary on any of these private meetings.” A Home
Office spokesman declined to confirm or deny whether the meeting with Mr
Evans had taken place.

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