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Roula Khalaf, editor-in-chief of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Normally, when someone responds to a comment request after publication, we will promptly update the article in question.
But every once in a while, a comment is so substantial, so important, that it deserves an article in its own right.
So too did the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which, about four and a half days after we contacted them for comment on the government’s hospitality wine cellar, they declined to comment, and about half a day after posting about it — finally decided to break his silence.
An FCDO spokesperson said:
“Wine from the winery, which has existed under successive governments, is used for the sole purpose of supporting hospitality at government-organized events and international summits attended by world and business leaders. This helps promote the UK on the world stage – in line with the Government’s commitment to economic growth.
“The wine cellar generates its own income to ensure the most self-financed operation possible
The last paragraph doesn’t end, so we may never know what additional revelations it may have contained.
Further reading:
— A deep dive into the government’s £3.7 million wine cellar
— Another useless article on the UK’s strategic wine reserves
— Surprisingly, there’s still a lot to be said about the UK government’s £3.8million wine cellar.
