Brown and Bush Reignite That Special Relationship

Gordon Brown and George Bush talked up the importance of the special relationship between the UK and the US yesterday in at a good-natured meeting at the White House that contrasted sharply with last year's frosty encounter between the two.

At a joint press conference in the Rose Garden, Brown, asked about the special relationship between the US and Britain, said that, like Tony Blair, he stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the president in the battle against terrorism.

The president lavished praise on Brown, describing him as "a good friend", portrayed his handling of the aftermath of the terror attack at Glasgow airport as "brilliant" and said the two had had "a fabulous conversation".

Brown said the world owed Bush "a great deal of gratitude" for helping to root out terrorism. Although Bush has only nine months left in office, Brown said the two had "an ambitious agenda" to get through over the next few months, mainly on facing the economic crisis.

In July last year, a month after becoming prime minister, Brown sought to distance himself from Bush after the years in which Blair was portrayed as the president's poodle and was deliberately cool towards the president.

The two joined in condemning the behavior of Zimbabwe president, Robert Mugabe, over the election results.

Bush said: "You can't have elections unless you put the results out. What kind of election is it?" Echoing calls made the day before by Brown at the UN, he called on African leaders to put pressure on Mugabe.

Brown was making his second visit to the US as prime minister, mainly to meet the contenders to replace Bush. Brown wants to try to work with Bush to try to soften the impact of the economic crisis.

Asked about the turbulence at home over his premiership, Brown said: "I am sticking to the job and I am getting on with the job."

The two discussed Iraq, where Britain has reduced its troop contribution to 4,000, who are now holed up mainly in Basra international airport despite calls by the Pentagon for them to play a more active role. They also discussed Afghanistan, Iran and climate change.

After the talks, Brown and Bush, joined by their wives Sarah and Laura, were scheduled to dine at the White House.

But the main focus of Brown's visit was to establish a rapport with the three contenders to replace Bush - Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. After meeting all three separately at the British embassy yesterday, Brown said the outcome of the November election would not affect the special relationship.

"What I am convinced, of after talking to each of them ... is that the relationship between America and Britain will remain strong and will remain steadfast."

Downing Street said that Brown's trip had been a success and officials laughed off suggestions that the prime minister was upstaged by the Pope, who is making a high-profile visit to the US.

Officials hailed a huge step forward on Zimbabwe when, following an address by Brown, the UN security council said on Tuesday it was prepared to send monitors to observe any second round in Zimbabwe's presidential elections.

Brown believes that when Bush stands down in January 2009 there is a chance for a new relationship between the US and Europe because the arrival of a new president will coincide with a generation of European leaders who are determined to move on from the hostility of the Iraq war era, encapsulated by Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schröder.

Brown will conclude his visit today with a speech on foreign policy at the John F Kennedy Memorial Library in Boston. He will use the occasion to intensify his campaign for the reform of the world's financial and political institutions.

He is likely to build on proposals he outlined in a speech in Delhi in January in which he said Britain and other affluent countries should do more to recognize the role that countries such as India, China and Brazil play.