Could relations with a McCain White House be undermined?

Lots of coverage in the UK papers this morning of the article that appeared under Gordon Brown’s name in a specialised publication in which it appeared that the PM was backing Obama over McCain in the White House race.

The gentle mocking by the McCain campaign is reflected in the headline in the panel above with the term – “The Coveted Gordon Brown endorsement”. The piece opens “Far be it from this campaign to underestimate the value of an endorsement from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown….” suggesting that the Republican nominee’s team have handled it well.

But what does this say about Number 10 which allowed this to be written in the first place and then for it to be sent for publication?

That someone who is allowed to pen things for Brown should not even be aware of one of the great rules about non-intervention in US elections is bad enough enough – but for it to slip through the approval processes that should exist indicates that something is seriously wrong.

The real problem now is that it could cause damage with a future White House as John Major found out in 1992 when it looked as though the British government was helping the campaign of George Bush snr.

The Tories have now taken up the mantle and it will become another thing to “beat” Gordon with.

What an unlucky Prime Minister Brown is turning out to be – still, unless something totally dramatic happens he hasn’t got too long left in the job.

Mike Smithson