SARKOZY BOTTLES IT
FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy sparked a fresh diplomatic spat with London after he pulled out of a visit to Number 10 Downing Street yesterday. Sarkozy had been due to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown after a tumultuous week in which he crowed over the appointment of Frenchman Michel Barnier to the EU finance brief. French and British aides said the trip had been abandoned, adding that the two leaders would instead talk at the European Council in Brussels next week. The news was greeted with amusement in the City. Justin Urquhart Stewart, director of Seven Investment Management, said: “So we’re throwing garlic at each other now, are we? We need more statesmanship and less headline-grabbing.