Speaking at a dinner in Birmingham in aid of Sense International helping deaf and blind children in Africa, Lord Digby Jones warned against leaders of the developed world succumbing to the pressure from vested interests and putting up protectionist barriers to free trade. “Recession in democracies tempts political leaders to prevent open markets bringing long term prosperity to everyone in the world in the name of short term domestic popularity. Such selfish protectionism can lead to nationalism very quickly and Europe needs no reminder of the dangers of that. Right now the governments of USA, France and Germany should know better.”