At Davos today, Gordon Brown warned that countries should not resort to protectionism to remove their economies from the global slump.

“This is a time not just for individual, national measures to deal with the global financial crisis. This is the time … for the world to come together as one.”

Heaven help us, he’s getting Messianic again. A classic case of fantasy working overtime.

Sanity from Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), who said that moves towards protectionism during a downturn were expected.

Reference: Sensible protectionism is not a sin

John Evans