Brown reopens 'the bridge'
WASHINGTON DC: Tony Blair risked alienating the rest of Europe with his claim that Britain and, let's be honest, he personally could act as a "bridge" between Europe and the US. If that was ever true the Iraq war broke the bridge.
Well, what do you know? Last night on US television Gordon Brown reopened it by claiming on CBS news that:
"I feel I can bring Europe and America closer together for the future. And that's going to be to the advantage of all of us."
What's more he reasserted that the relationship between the US and UK is "special". A hotly denied recently that the British ambassador to the USA had banned the hackneyed phrase but, talking to CBS's Katie Couric, the PM has restored it and added a "very":
Katie Couric: "Finally Mr Prime Minister, ideally, what would you like the American people to know about you?"
Gordon Brown: "That I'm very pro-American and I've always been so. I feel America and Europe, and America and Britain in particular, because ours is a very special relationship, I feel that America and Britain can achieve so much in the next few years."
No prime minister can, it seems, resist the temptation to argue that Britain alone is capable of guiding America to do right by the world.
I'm 
Comments
This one is so obvious it's untrue; he can see the writing is on the wall in his current job so is trying to build a few bridges for the lecture circuit in the future. Perhaps we could suggest a few titles for these lectures: "no more boom and bust" would be a good start.
This is the Gordon Brown who said he'd withdraw so may troops from Iraq by now.
Yes.
Anyone who believes what he says also believes in WMD, the tooth fairy and that Labour can run an economy properly.
It seems that Gordon Brown has moved from anti-American to "very pro-American" very quickly as the credit crunch bites. He is likely to be viewed with caution in his latest stance, which is opportunistic and political, and typical of him. His anti-European approach will also come back to haunt him as the recession grows, but no doubt he will find the words to do another u-turn.
Surely we can do better than him as Prime Minister? His past disloyalty and obstructive behaviour is catching up with him big time.
The only way Gordon Brown will act as a bridge from Europe to America is to be walked all over.
Gordon has run out of ideas to run his own country and so is trying to drag us through on the coat tales of anyone that will help. Hw will be pro or anti anything if this can save his skin!!
I think the football analogy of a good No2 does not always make a good manager is true of this man and unfortunately Britain at the moment is Derby County!!
Gordon might be pro-American but it's about time he realised that the rest of us aren't quite so enthusiastic about that sycophantic, sorry, special relationship. He doesn't seem to believe that the UK can make its own way in the world any more without sucking up to the biggest bully on the block. I'm ready to go it alone. After all, we couldn't do any worse than we have for the last few years...
An important question to note, is the timing of GB's trip to the US - being overshadowed as it is by the trip of the Pope. Surely Downing St/the White House would have co-ordinated to ensure that the proper coverage was given to GB in the US, unless they specifically wanted him to fly under the radar.
As an aside - Nick, are you looking forward to meeting George Bush again?
If Brown is trying to butter up to the U.S. lecture circuit, he is wasting his time. The U.S. doesn't like losers.
There is obviously a special relationship between the UK & the USA. 1776 was the first Civil War fought between two parts of a nation on different continents.
Few seem to realise that it was only a thin strip of colonies on the East Coast of America that actually revolted.
Strange that all US citizens celebrate "Independence", when geographically most of their nation emerged from the Louisianna purchase from the French, a rather contrived war against Mexico and the further purchase of Alaska from the Russians... So it's hard to work out which bit of the Independence struggle all those good folk actually celebrate!
The UK should always keep a good relationship with the USA. After all, it was those two nations that rescued mainland Europe from problems during the last century.
MacMillan kept a distance from the Vietnam war.
Pity Blair couldn't do the same. And that Brown didn't say a word.
C'mon people! How do you expect Brown to respond to such a question? That he doesn't give a damn about the American people and the US-UK relationship? This is politics and Brown has to try to stay in the good books of many, which will often require treading a fine line. As per usual, Nick Robinson is just sniping. How about some real insight from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖs "top dog". My understanding re the desire for a special relationship is nuclear weapons. Do we want them or not? If we do, then we need to cosy up to the US for their technology. If we don't want nukes and/or don't need their technology, then we can be more aloof, like the French. I wouldn't expect Brown to go into this on a CBS interview.
The Subprime Minister is a complete joke, who will say or do alomst anything to please - and ends up achieving the exact opposite.
Dave I agree with you. Its time prime ministers stop taking u-turns to save their skin, or is our "democracy" worth its heavily proclaimed title?
If Britain could rule half the world then its high time someone realises that its perfectly capable of standing on its own two feet.
In business and politics Americans ruthlessly pursue their interests, but generally do so in a friendly and polite way.
The deep cultural difference between the US and the UK means that British people both in business and politics get taken in by the apparent niceness.
Wasn't it former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt who poigniantly said that while Britian had a special relationship with the USA "but does the USA have a special relationship with Britain?"
Nothing has changed...
Having seen his performance on US TV an American friend asked me why we had ditched the charismatic Blair and chosen the dour Mr Brown. I had to explain that we didn't!
A pathetic mixture of King Canute and the three wise monkeys all over again.
He presided over spiralling debt and called it growth in GDP
He watched banks introduce self certified salaries, Interest only mortgages, unlimited credit and called it growth in personal wealth
After being humiliated by the banks for a decade, with historically low interest rates but historically high interest charges, he now expects them to knuckle under and do his bidding on passing interest rate cuts to users
I never expected to agree with Mugabe on anything but on Brown's place in world standings, we are united.
Pro American ? He's not even pro British. This is the man who sold out to Europe, allows immigrants to flood unchecked into the country,keeps troops in a war zone(not to fight, but to keep a public enquiry out of the question) and destroys the economy by squandering assets. Now he claims he can fix the problem by begging the financial institutions to save him. He has no hope, the financiers are only interested in one thing, profit; and that doesn't involve letting an incompetent government squander any of their money. Our cousins across the Atlantic will not be impressed by what Brown is, they have no time for losers.
So GB is opening the bridge to the USA.
If its like any other labour project it will be hugely over budget, years late and certainly not up to the promised standards.
By the way Nick, while you are there try asking 100 Americans who Gordon Brown is, what he stands for and why he matters to them. I bet the answers won't take long to publish, even broadcast end to end.
For 60 years, the bridge from the US to Europe (not including the UK) ran one-way, west to east. When we needed help after helping the continent for all those years Europe blew up the bridge. I would suggest Brown head across the channel, not the pond, to repair the bridge.
The Americans tend to be more confident and better at communicating. Europe is more subtle and has deeper foreign relationships. Asia is much more disciplined and patient. As globalisation develops it will be an interesting experience to see how people learn from these differences and build a common thread. In that respect I'd suggest the Prime Minister may have some genuine claim to be enthusiastic.
Mostly, I think, the economic and foreign policy initiative from the Prime Minister is partly him distancing himself from local difficulties, and partly his reaching out to grasp some idea that he's not alone in this world. This is not unusual for personality types like the Prime Minister. I hope, once he's more settled he can return and develop a more practical focus on everyday issues and show more of his sociable side in public.
Perhaps, once the Prime Minister has recharged his batteries and the situation has settled, he would like to spread some of his insights from his American visit. I'd really like the Prime Minister to pick a small issue and get out and meet the people. Many of great achievements and industries in Britain and America started with a simple hobby, or someone giving someone a chance. Something here may help cement that.
All hail Blessed Leader!
I think that having Gordon (the Warden from dad's Army) in America and Alistair Darling (our own Private Fraser) in China, both at the same time is good news. You could say one is embracing the dragon and the other is stroking the labrador(I once had a labrador and knew it to be very kindly to its friends, but occasionally a bit stupid, like trying to enter through a door with a stick sideways in its mouth).
I'm especially pleased that Alistair Darling has been very pleasant to the Chinese government, indicating (as reported by the Peoples Daily) that the UK Government does not believe in Tibetan independence and confirming Gordon's attendance at the closing ceremony. Hopefully, the UK's joining in the embarrassment of China over the opening ceremony has not harmed trade (although it probably deserved to), and more hopefully Alistair Darling will be able to make some lucrative commercial arrangements whilst in the region. Interestingly, there is an online pressure group in China at the moment pressing for a boycott of French goods; I don't know if it'll gather much steam, but it's worthwhile knowing that if you really want to stick to some principles you do so at a commercial risk. It seems however, and very fortunate for many people, that the UK government has been able to dispense with such baggage.
Anyway, who is minding the shop wilst they are away? For me, I hope it's Sergeant Wilson (Jack Straw) and not that boy Pike (David Miliband).
Modern day Britain may well be able to form a bridge between The US and Europe, but our unelected, dower, dithering and seriously diminished Prime Minister? He has to be joking.
I'm sure that will please his friends on the Left...
Dear Nick The government is running scared, "WHY is the pope in thwe USA exactly the same time as Gordon Brown ?
it is not a coincidence.!