‘Not for war’: Brown goes to Washington
By Ian Dunt
Gordon Brown has had talks in Washington with president Barack Obama, in a meeting designed to fundamentally change the ‘special relationship’.
“Past British prime ministers have gone to Washington to talk about wars,” the prime minister said before he left.
“I’m going to talk about stability for the future.”
Asked whether his administration would place less emphasis on relations with the UK, President Obama went out of his way to praise UK-US relations.
“The special relationship between us and Great Britain is one that is not just important to me, it’s important to the American people,” the new president said.
“It is sustained by a common language, a common culture. Our legal system is directly inherited from the English system.
“Our system of government reflects the same values. And by the way, that’s also where my mother’s side of the family came from, so this notion there is anything less of that special relationship is misguided,” he continued.
“The UK is one of our closest and strongest allies. There is a link, a bind, there that will not break.”
Talking to journalists after their meeting, Mr Brown joked that while the president may beat him at basketball they might be equal at tennis.
Today’s talks with Mr Obama- the first of any European leader – will be followed by a speech to both houses of Congress tomorrow.
The speech is considered an honour in Downing Street – the fifth time a British prime minister has been asked to do so.
But Downing Street officials are feeling hard done by after a planned press conference was turned into a ‘pool spray’, where a small group of journalists quickly ask two or three questions.
The change probably reflects President Obama’s busy schedule – he also has talks at the department of transportation, the department of the interior and with a delegation from the Boy Scouts of America.
The result is that Mr Brown is robbed of his crucial PR goal of appearing next to the new president surrounded by flags and circumstance, although British government sources are keen to argue it is not a snub.
Meanwhile, reports are flying across the Atlantic of Mr Brown refusing to countenance the possibility of an apology in his Congressional speech tomorrow.
A piece in the Telegraph by chancellor Alistair Darling today seemed to suggest that the government should exercise greater humility in their discussion of the recession, rather than Mr Brown’s resolute refusal to apologise for anything more than the 10p tax debacle.
“The key thing that went wrong was that a culture was allowed to develop over the last 15 years or so where the relationship between what people did and what they got went way out of alignment, especially at the top end,” Mr Darling said.
“If there is a fault, it is our collective responsibility. All of us have to have the humility to accept that over the last few years, things got out of alignment.”
The Labour party appear to be split on the issue. Some, allegedly including children’s secretary and Brown confidant Ed Balls, share Mr Darling’s worldview.
Others worry that an apology is a trapdoor set by the Conservatives, who will call for his resignation the moment he apologises.
Mr Brown carried with him a gift to the president – a penholder carved from the wood of HMS Gannet, sister ship of HMS Resolute, the timbers of which were used to make the Oval Office desk.
British aides will be hoping the gift carries the same weight as that which Tony Blair gave George Bush – a statuette of Winston Churchill, which Mr Bush gave pride of place during his presidency.
The two leaders have the power to give each other considerable political comfort.
Mr Brown wishes to bask in President Obama’s popularity, make political capital out of being the first European leader asked to come to the White House, and – most importantly – frame his own fiscal stimulus plan next to the much more substantive one forced through by the president.
For his part, Mr Brown offers President Obama a sturdy partner in Afghanistan, whose commitment to a large British troop presence can help convince fellow Europeans to commit more manpower to the conflict. He will also offer backing to Mr Obama’s green agenda – currently facing sustained opposition domestically.
And with the leader’s stimulus plans so similar, Mr Obama will be hoping to convince Republicans that his method of dealing with the financial crisis is part of an international consensus on the subject.
Praising Mr Obama’s economic stimulus package, the prime minister said: “If America and Britain did similar things for the economy then the effects would be magnified.”
While Mr Brown was keen to highlight the differences between his approach to the ‘special relationship’ and that of his predecessor, Mr Blair, his comment on not travelling to Washington to plan a war were quickly followed by outlines for a partnership dedicated to establishing a new international regulatory system for the crisis.
“I want to talk about the renewal of our relationship for new times,” he told talkSPORT.
“I think the impression [President Obama] has given of America to the world is transformative. I think people’s view of America is changing as a result.”
The two men are understood to have concentrated on plans for next months G20 meeting in London next month, where world leaders are expected to make significant gains on a “global new deal”.
Afghanistan, the Middle East, climate change and education programmes in the developing world were also addressed, but comments to journalists later centres more on jokes and personal details rather than concrete policy plans.
Two pair left their half-hour meeting to have a working lunch.
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