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Special relationship? Despite Barack Obama snubbing a full press conference with Gordon Brown, the pair appeared best of friends as they sat down in the Oval Office at the White House todayDowning Street was left scrambling to avoid a diplomatic embarrassment today after the White House ruled out a formal press conference to mark Gordon Brown's first formal meeting with Barack Obama.Officials denied the Prime Minister was being snubbed after it emerged that the new president would not make himself available for the traditional joint appearance before the White House media.Mr Brown's aides are trying to make the best of what is a distinctly low key visit compared to the family hospitality lavished on Tony Blair by George Bush when they met for the first time.Mr Brown and Mr Obama finally sat down together to meet the press in an informal Oval Office briefing this afternoon.The pair, who were almost identically dressed in dark suits, white shirts and blue ties, appeared relaxed and friendly.And Mr Obama was quick to reaffirm the 'special relationship' between America and Britain.'First of all the special relationship between the U.S. and Great Britain is one that is not only important to me, it is important to the America people,' the new President said.He added he would like to think his relationship with Mr Brown was 'terrific' and stressed his personal links with Britain through his mother's family.'The notion that there's any lessening of the special relationship with Britain is nonsense,' he said.'It is one of our closest and strongest allies and there's a link and bond there that we will not break.'The relationship is not only special and strong but will only get stronger as time goes on.'Mr Brown went on to thank Mr Obama for his welcome and said he had gone to Washington to renew their relationship. Much of their brief meeting focussed on questions about the economic crisis, which had also dominated an hour-long private meeting beforehand.Both pledged to change the global financial system which has been blamed for the current meltdown.
'We together have dug a very deep hole for ourselves. There were a lot of bad decisions that were made. We are cleaning up that mess,' Mr Obama said.'There are going to be fits and starts in getting the mess cleaned up but it is going to get cleaned up and we will emerge more prosperous, more unified and more protected from systemic risks.'Mr Brown called for a 'global new deal' which would see the world's biggest economies agree on a new regulatory system for banks, fiscal stimulus packages to boost growth and action to deal with 'shadow banks' and regulatory and tax havens.They also touched on Iraq-and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Mr Obama and Mr Brown listened intently to one another as they sat in armchairs in the Oval Office before a painting of George Washington.Behind Mr Obama's shoulder was the bust of his hero Abraham Lincoln which replaced a bronze of Winston Churchill presented by Tony Blair to his predecessor George Bush and removed shortly after the new president took office.
'We together have dug a very deep hole for ourselves. There were a lot of bad decisions that were made. We are cleaning up that mess,' Mr Obama said.'There are going to be fits and starts in getting the mess cleaned up but it is going to get cleaned up and we will emerge more prosperous, more unified and more protected from systemic risks.'Mr Brown called for a 'global new deal' which would see the world's biggest economies agree on a new regulatory system for banks, fiscal stimulus packages to boost growth and action to deal with 'shadow banks' and regulatory and tax havens.They also touched on Iraq-and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Mr Obama and Mr Brown listened intently to one another as they sat in armchairs in the Oval Office before a painting of George Washington.Behind Mr Obama's shoulder was the bust of his hero Abraham Lincoln which replaced a bronze of Winston Churchill presented by Tony Blair to his predecessor George Bush and removed shortly after the new president took office.
By Benedict Brogan
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