After today's PMQs, David Cameron raced off to his meeting with President Obama. It was the second meeting between the men - the first was when Mr Obama was still a candidate last summer.
The meeting didn't need to happen. There certainly wasn't a meeting with Nick Clegg. President Obama has a massive schedule that included his first meetings with the Russian and Chinese leaders. That it happened at all is a sign of the White House's expectation that Gordon Brown (who Obama lavished praise on earlier in the day) is unlikely to be in office for long.
On the American side were Hillary Clinton, Tim Geithner, National Security Advisor Jim Jones and the Acting US Ambassador to London. On our side were David Cameron, William Hague, George Osborne, Pauline Neville-Jones, Ed Llewellyn and Andy Coulson.
The meeting that ran for slightly longer than thirty minutes focused on the G20, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, green technologies and NATO reform. CCHQ described the meeting as "positive" and "business-like". Mr Cameron told the BBC that he had found the President "deeply impressive".
Samantha Cameron and Michelle Obama also met together at the same time. Mrs Cameron gave Mrs Obama a designer bracelet and gave the Obama children a copy of the Railway Children and Stories from Shakespeare. America's First Lady gave Mrs Cameron a book on the Wizard of Oz and also a book of fairy tales.
Mr Cameron has also met the Australian PM over the last few days and the Mexican President. He is also due to hold talks with Canadian PM Stephen Harper.
Tim Montgomerie
Cameron's descriptions of Obama in the media after this are more than a bit gushing.
Something along the lines of "We had a full and frank discussion, not least about the proposed stimulus packages. I look forward to working with Pres. Obama in future." would have sufficed.
Posted by: Cleethorpes Rock | April 01, 2009 at 18:02
Why does Cameron have Coulson and Llewellyn with him? Unless Obama also brought Axelrod and Ehmanuel?
Posted by: Goldie | April 01, 2009 at 18:10
Not surprising, hes simply meeting with the next Prime Minister after Broon and McLabour get booted out by landslide next year.
Posted by: Peter | April 01, 2009 at 18:12
It's great news that this meeting took place. Brown must be feeling quite uncomfortable with the fact that the Americans quite clearly see the Conservatives as the incoming Administration.
On another note, I am glad that Sam Cameron gave the Obama girls a present of good literature which I hope they will enjoy either reading themselves or with their parents. My mother introduced me to Shakespeare when I was about the same age as the younger little girl and I also loved The Railway Children.
Posted by: Sally Roberts | April 01, 2009 at 18:27
I wonder if Obama asked how marginalising Britain in Europe could possibly help the UK to act as a bridge between Europe and the USA?
Posted by: Viscount Crouchback | April 01, 2009 at 18:32
Have you seen the euphoric coverage of the G20 on the BBC1 6 o'clock news?
Posted by: Freddy | April 01, 2009 at 18:32
Sally. Every American President that visits this country sees the leader of the opposition. It is just protocol and the done thing nothing else. It doesn`t mean that the President expects Cameron to be Prime Minister. In fact by all reports he thinks of Cameron as a lightweight. The President is clearly a good judge of people.
Posted by: Jack Stone | April 01, 2009 at 18:32
Unlike you, Jack. Now, time for you to have a little lie-down I think.
Posted by: Sally Roberts | April 01, 2009 at 18:50
I am not sure, after all this G20 stuff, Obama is convinced Brown is on his way out. What he could well suspect is that Brown may need Tory votes for any further military adventures.
Posted by: David Sergeant | April 01, 2009 at 19:06
"Every American President that visits this country sees the leader of the opposition. It is just protocol and the done thing nothing else."...yes, yes, yes..straight off the BBC online coverage. Can you supply examples? Out of genuine interest you understand...of course it wasn't just a head to head it was Team Cameron meetin team Obama seems a bit odd don't you think amongst the G20 LEADERS? One has to wonder why Jack, do you know why?
Posted by: Span Ows | April 01, 2009 at 19:12
Everyone's lining up to see Cameron. Must be infuriating for Brown!
Posted by: Nicholas J. Rogers | April 01, 2009 at 19:40
Span ows. You should stop believing Tory propaganda. There is nothing strange in this. It doesn`t mean that the President expects Cameron to be PM. It certainly doesn`t mean that he wants Cameron to be PM as the Tory party represent everything President Obama as campaigned against throughout the whole of his political life.
Posted by: Jack Stone | April 01, 2009 at 19:47
Jack Stone / Draper - you are getting tiresome.
You are wrong actually. Not every American President that visits this country (esp, on something like a G20 visit, where time and therefore prioritising is critical) sees the leader of the opposition.
Read your history. And please just accept the fact that you are a bitter loser.
Posted by: Alex | April 01, 2009 at 19:54
"I am not sure, after all this G20 stuff, Obama is convinced Brown is on his way out."
'all this G20 stuff'?
You think Team Obama can't read opinion polls and newspapers?
You thnk they don't know that Brown has been travelling the world, spinning furiously, because he is desperate for the G20 to throw him a lifeline?
You think they don't know what the Governer of the BOE said last week?
What 'G20 stuff' exactly do you think will have convinced Obama that Brown is suddenly going to cease to be the most detested British Prime Minister in living memory?
Posted by: James | April 01, 2009 at 19:57
The only real Super Power is now china isn't it time for us to engage with them. Special relationship or not Brown is now Broke, with the blank cheques rained in....oh woe is Brown, his godless pinko pal the president of the US may yet throw him a bone. I think we need to fight the do nothing Tory jibe which is offensive, its labour that sits idly by fanning the flames of economic collapse.We have seen book burnings but this is the first time in living memory I can recall a policy of money burning. In fact if labour was to burn Billions of pounds it would amount to the same thing. This isn't a sensible Prime Minister and you have to be clear that the President is pink. So there is scope for real misschief with even more reckless spending on the cards. Obama wants to create a national health service he has socialist ambitions. I hope David came across as sound and sensible, because there is the real possibility that D.C. might soon be prime minister. However right now I see the real possibility of an Obama effect aiding Left of sane Brown. So be prepared to fight it.
Posted by: The Bishop Swine | April 01, 2009 at 20:23
I have an idea. Everyone who regularly contributes to this site should completely ignore Jack Stone. Don't respond to him, don't read his comments. Basically, don't even acknowledge his existence. We musn't believe he shouldn't be on the site, that would go against our libertarian instincts. But if we ignore him, he might just go away!
He is now becoming really irritating, and he knows it. We musn't take the bate.
Posted by: Jarod | April 01, 2009 at 20:48
Sorry, I got his name wrong. Derek "Jack Stone" Draper.
Posted by: Jarod | April 01, 2009 at 20:51
Jarod. The reason people comment on my posts is because they have nothing else to talk about. It isn`t as if the Tories have any policies for them to discuss is it!!
Posted by: Jack Stone | April 01, 2009 at 20:51
Sorry, who was that? I missed it.
Posted by: Jarod | April 01, 2009 at 21:11
@Jarod
I agree with you.
Posted by: Freddy | April 01, 2009 at 21:17
"America's First Lady also gave Mrs Cameron a book of fairy tales."
The Obama manifesto?
Posted by: Paul D | April 01, 2009 at 21:21
Jack - In pure protocol terms, Obama was under no obligation to meet with Cameron. You're absolutely right that this is the custom when its at State visit, but this trip is not a State visit. You are though in very good company - Nick Robinson on his BBC blog churlishly dismissed the meeting in the same way - he should have known better. Interestingly enough, The Guardian, writes it up as a significant moment for Cameron and quite a coup as well as pointing out the protocol underlying the two types of visits. But then, I find these days that the Guardian is actually far more balanced on the question of Cameron than just about any other paper and is quicker off the mark in reporting his speeches , giving them far more prominence than say the Telegraph which these days seems to do nothing but snipe at DC.
Posted by: Peter Buss | April 01, 2009 at 21:25
"Deeply impressive"?
Does Cameron have to be so creepy around the most left wing ever American President?
Posted by: Umbrella man | April 01, 2009 at 21:38
Brown is toast and Obama of course knows that, so why not meet with the next PM in just over a year's time.
Posted by: Gavin | April 01, 2009 at 21:54
@Peter Buss
You're absolutely right about the Telegraph, that's why I packed it in a couple of years ago. I now read the Daily Mail and the Express.
Posted by: Freddy | April 01, 2009 at 22:15
It cost Obama half an hour, and he can read the opinion polls as well as the next person. It would have been a major snub not to. What's interesting is that it already seems Cameron is settling into the deeply distasteful obsequious pattern demonstrated by Blair, despite the political gulf between them.
Posted by: resident leftie | April 01, 2009 at 22:40
A opportune meeting for Cameron but nothing to get too excited about, Obama I suspect will be a long way down the polls by June 2010
Posted by: Richard Calhoun | April 01, 2009 at 22:45
Jarod @ 20.48 I think you are probably right, so I shall give your suggestion a try, and not take up the BAIT.
Posted by: Patsy Sergeant | April 01, 2009 at 22:53
Jarod,
You are probably right - we shall give the Tramp time to list those meetings between US Presidents and "every" Leader of HM Opposition, and not intrude further on his private grief!
Stephen
Posted by: Super Blue | April 01, 2009 at 23:00
Wasn't it fantastic to see our Prime Minister confidently leading on the world stage this evening, with one world leader after another appluding him for working so hard on this summit.
Could you imagine Call Me Dave getting that same kind of respect? Could you imagine him establishing a conference of that magnitude in this country? No, neither can I.
No wonder Obama called him a 'lightweight'.
Regardless of one's personal feelings about Brown, there's no doubt he can do the business on the world stage. Cameron just looks like a deer caught in the headlights, wondering what on earth he should do next.
Posted by: NorthernMonkey | April 02, 2009 at 00:05
@Northern Monkey
What about Merkel and Sarkozy? They aren't applauding the Dear Leader!
As another comment points out Obama didn't have to visit DC because Obama wasn't on a state visit - the papers, but not of course the BBC, said that the visit would only last half an hour. Obama's meeting with DC and staff lasted a full hour.
Obviously Obama's staff have pointed out that Brown is well behind in the polls!
Incidentally, why do you think that that is the case? Could it be anything to do with the fact that Gordon, first as chancellor, and then as PM, has nearly bankrupted Britain?
Speaking frankly, as Dear Harold used to say, anybody could do a better job than Brown!
BROWN is the worst PM we've ever had!
Posted by: Freddy | April 02, 2009 at 01:02
@Northern Monkey
I forgot. The latest ComRes poll in the Independent shows that the public want Gordon to do less globetrotting and spend more time sorting out UK problems.
Posted by: Freddy | April 02, 2009 at 01:06
Well Freddy (the 'Shreddy' Goodwin?), as Obama and Brown pointed out at today's conference, only an idiot would think you could blame one country for this problem.
Of course Brown hasn't 'bankrupted' Britain (even you know that). The entire reason why this conference is occurring is because EVERY developed country is suffering badly.
Maybe you'd like to read today's OECD report which says that the US, Germany, France and Japan will all see their economies shrink more than Britain's this year.
Brown has shown he's the man for the times today, and he and Obama are running rings around bitter Sarko and Merky.
What could Cameron bring to the summit table? George Osborne's rudimentary grasp of sixth-form economics? Or maybe John Redwood's plan to 'deregulate' the City?!
Weak, weak, weak.
Posted by: NorthernMonkey | April 02, 2009 at 01:36
Grasping at short straws again Monkey / Kevin Maguire?
Posted by: Alex | April 02, 2009 at 03:33
Alex,
Did you read the discussion about not feeding the trolls?
Posted by: Tim Montgomerie | April 02, 2009 at 05:52
...but Tim, it's fun!
Northern Monkey says: Wasn't it fantastic to see our Prime Minister confidently leading on the world stage this evening, with one world leader after another appluding him for working so hard on this summit.
Fantastic? I guess you could say that, it certainly appears a fantasy of yours.
Could you imagine Call Me Dave getting that same kind of respect?
The condescending you mean? No, I can imagine DC getting REAL respect.
Could you imagine him establishing a conference of that magnitude in this country?
Yep. I guess Brown's lucky that Sarkozy suggested such a meeting in the first place.
No wonder Obama called him a 'lightweight'.
He didn't! (shakes head in exasperation)
Regardless of one's personal feelings about Brown, there's no doubt he can do the business on the world stage.
Yep, stage acting! As well as grinning stupidly, flip-flopping, leading nobody but claiming to lead (there was a great cartoon of him leading a line of leaders and then when they all turned another way he ran back past them to be in the front again, I think it was in The Times, hilarious)
Cameron just looks like a deer caught in the headlights, wondering what on earth he should do next.
Then open your eyes, you clearly have a problem with your eyesight.
Posted by: Span Ows | April 02, 2009 at 08:12
I have to say, Tim, that Northern Monkey despite being a left-winger doesn't normally write what I would describe as "troll-ish" posts!
I suspect he's fed up and angry as so many others of his persuasion are that they can see the unmistakable writing on the wall.
It's understandable. We were the same in 1996.
Posted by: Sally Roberts | April 02, 2009 at 08:36
Freddy: "BROWN is the worst PM we've ever had!"
That's a little harsh. Brown hasn't been humiliated in a war with a lesser power, so that puts him ahead of Lord North and Eden, and his government hasn't - yet - collapsed through sheer managerial incompetence, so he's still ahead of Goderich. I'd settle for calling him the 4th worst PM.
Posted by: William Norton | April 02, 2009 at 12:53
I'm not sure advice not to feed the trolls is good. After all, if labour HQ think this is a good use of their time then it tells us a little about how they've lost their touch at Labour Spin-Central.
You have to admit Jack Draper-Stone can be funny sometimes. I mean, yesterday he described the scarecrow-Brown as looking like a Prime Mnister. Come to think of it, I did ask how it was that Brown was voted only at no 3 as worst dressed man in Britain - of course Draper is no.1, so who in the Labour party is no.2 ?
Posted by: NigelJ | April 02, 2009 at 13:57
Given a likely Conservative victory, it's a shame Cameron is such a lightweight and seems to be planning on Blair II policies.
Posted by: Adam3 | April 02, 2009 at 17:58