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Gordon goes to Congress

Andrew Neil | 10:49 UK time, Wednesday, 4 March 2009

brownobama.jpgIt's Day 2 of Mr Brown goes to Washington and Day 1 was not the presidential snub the British press corps had been hoping for.

In the end our PM had over an hour with Mr Obama and a working lunch in the White House with the President and his staff.

But this was fitted into the President's existing schedule (he had the Boy Scouts to see and the Interior Department to visit), there was no formal press conference, no tete-a-tete over lunch or dinner during Gordon Brown's visit to Washington.

The President said what Mr Brown wanted to hear about the special relationship and gave broad approval to Mr Brown's ambitions for a "global new deal".

But we don't know yet if he's only paying lip-service to this idea and it's clear Mr Obama does not regard our PM as a best buddie: Mr Brown rather presumptively called the President "Barack" but the President referred scrupulously to "Mr Prime Minister".

Today it's on to Congress where Mr Brown will urge a joint session of the two Houses to "Seize the Moment", whatever that means, and lecture them on the evils of protectionism.

Most international economists agree with him about that and Congress will no doubt applaud politely -- after having agreed "Buy America" provisions in the Obama stimulus bill.

British eyes and ears will concentrate on whether he'll apologise in some form for his role as Chancellor in the financial crisis.

Chancellor Alistair Darling has said this week that ministers should show humility and admit to mistakes made in the past.

But don't hold your breath for that in the Brown speech. We'll be joined live from Washington by a Democatic Congressman to get the US measure of Mr Brown.

neilmorrisey_203.jpgAlso on the show today: actor and landlord Neil Morrissey on pub closures, former England footballer Geoff Thomas on leukaemia treatments, former junior minister Chris Mullin on life inside New Labour, and we'll also be joined for the whole show by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw, and shadow Communities Minister Sayeeda Warsi.

Oh, and live coverage of PMQs of course, though only the B team of Harman and Hague today, with the PM in DC.

All that from 1130 on BBC2 today - or watch later on the BBC iPlayer.

And don't forget to look us up on Twitter.

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