Across the pond

Gordon Brown won 18 standing ovations from Congress on Wednesday, only one less than the Rev. Tony Blair got when preaching from the same pulpit in the Bush age. Sadly for him US congressmen don’t vote in British elections and they don’t have executive power. And Brown’s appeal to his old mate, Barack, who does have the executive power, won only a tentative pat on the arm. Because, of course, he is now Mr President, and has a slightly different agenda.

Save the US first, and then try to save the world.

Obama made it clear that he is a friend of Britain, on his mother’s side, so Brits need not be too fearful about the future of the now not so special relationship.

But the timing does not look good for Brown. Obama has four years to do these jobs. Brown has less than two years to save the world and save himself.

And this British voter was as affected by what Brown did not say. He refused to say ‘sorry’ for his own part in creating the current financial crisis, not answering the question put to him by the BBC but rabbiting on about storms entirely outside his control. No recognition at all of how he sowed the seeds of the crediit crunchdown, along with his former boss and their bosum pal, George W.