US Embassy Won't Pay C-Charge Or VAT

The Standard has caught up with news we reported a month ago — that, despite the new head honchos in both City Hall and the White House, there's no Anglo-American accord on the US embassy ponying up the requisite greenbacks for that pesky congestion charge. Louis Sussman, the new ambassador, has also pooh-poohed a £50 million VAT bill on their new Nine Elms crib, reckoning that it's tax and hence not applicable to diplomats. Maybe a dose of shock and awe is needed — let's put America-baiting Ken Livingstone in charge of the embassy project and see how long it takes them to squeak.