Obama swerved no fewer than five requests from Downing Street to hold a bilateral meeting either at the UN in New York or at the G20 summit starting in Pittsburgh today.  Obama himself was in New York to deliver a speech to the UN.   Brown’s own speech to the UN was delivered to a half-empty auditorium.

Brown is paying a price for encouraging the release of the Lockerbie bomber…

UPDATE : Downing Street is denying the story and briefing that the two leaders had already had one “wide-ranging discussion”. Here is where it gets comical. The “wide-ranging discussion” appears to have taken place in a kitchen at the UN.

Guido thinks it might have gone something like this:

Gordon: Mr President could you pass the salt?
Barack : Sure.  How is Tony?
Gordon : He’s fine I imagine.  Nice weather you are having  for this time of year.
Barack : Gotta go.  Enjoy your tofu. Tell David I’ll see him next year.   See you in Pittsburgh.

Humiliating.

UPDATE II : Despite invitations to all, only one American banker turned up to a meeting with the man who “saved the world” and the global banking system.  How ungrateful of them.