By Amit Roy
THE village of Carbis Bay in Cornwall seems a lovely location for the G7 summit to which the host, Boris Johnson, has invited Narendra Modi, among others.
This is where both the British and Indian prime ministers will be keen to romance the new American president, Joe Biden, who is also expected to attend.
I would love to be in Cornwall in early summer. The summit from June 11-13 will attract world leaders to Carbis Bay, with neighbouring St Ives and Falmouth hosting international delegates and media.
“Cornwall is the perfect location for such a crucial summit,” enthused Boris, who was once dismissed by Biden as “a physical and emotional clone of Donald Trump”.
Actually, I like Cornwall for another reason. The author Daphne du Maurier lived a large part of her life in Cornwall, where she set three of her best-loved novels – Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman’s Creek.
Hitchcock directed the 1940 film version of Rebecca, starring Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Taking inspiration from one of the most famous opening lines in English literature – the second Mrs Maxim de Winter’s thoughts in Rebecca (“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”) – Modi could well reflect on his return home, “Last night I dreamt I went to Carbis Bay again.”
That is, if everything goes to plan. With so many people trying to win over Biden, there is the potential for matters to become a bit complicated. It is worth remembering that Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot had to solve a murder mystery set in Cornwall in Peril at End House.
Other novels using Cornwall as almost a character include Ross Poldark by Winston Graham; Penmarric by Susan Howatch; The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley; The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher; and Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale.
But to return to politics, let’s remember Biden strongly opposed Brexit, and warned there would be no US-UK free trade agreement if Britain’s exit from the European Union harmed the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ with Ireland, where he has family connections.
The Boris-Biden meeting will be an attempt to reset Britain’s “special relationship” with America. Meanwhile, Modi will want to put behind him such slogans as “Abki bar Trump sarkar”. After all, it has long been said that when it comes to foreign policy, “there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends, only permanent interests”.
As G7 full members, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States will attend, along with the European Union. But Boris has also invited the leaders of India, Australia and South Korea.
“I’m very much looking forward to welcoming world leaders to this great region and country,” Boris announced last week. “As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been the catalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face.”
He added that the world “looked to the G7 to apply our shared values and diplomatic might to create a more open and prosperous planet.
“Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced. It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future.”
He recalled: “Two hundred years ago, Cornwall’s tin and copper mines were at the heart of the UK’s industrial revolution, and this summer Cornwall will again be the nucleus of great global change and advancement.”
Prince Charles, who is the “Duke of Cornwall”, may add a royal touch to proceedings, alongside his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
The choice of Cornwall as the G7 venue has been welcomed by the hard-hit tourism industry.
Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the best of Cornwall and the UK on the world stage.” Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Cornwall, added, “Cornwall has been voted the best holiday region in the UK but is little known to many countries around the world. The G7 Leaders’ summit will showcase the beauty of Cornwall.”
