“Britzerland” dream dashed

Boris Johnson looks like he's been derailed Keystone

It appears that London Mayor Boris Johnson's hopes of a "Britzerland" alliance between Britain and Switzerland have been quashed in Davos.

Johnson’s idea was that “when” Britain pulls out of the EU, it would cosy up with that other notorious EU nay sayer, Switzerland, forming a new super power against the European bloc.

All was well yesterday when British Prime Minister David Cameron announced an EU opt out referendum by the end of 2017.

But Cameron has blown a great hole in the alliance by calling for a crackdown on tax evasion during his address to WEF on Thursday.

Here’s Swiss President Ueli Maurer taking aim at critics of Switzerland’s tax regime during his WEF address yesterday: “It is somewhat worrying when powerful states exert pressure on small but successful competitors.”

Not much common ground there, then.

Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter also poured cold water on the Britzerland plan when interviewed by Swiss television at WEF last night. It’s up to individual states to form their own relationships with the EU, he said.

Oh well, Britzerland was after all only a media soundbite from Britain’s wannabe future PM.