The Special Relationship: Brown after a little Obama stardust

IT MAY be that the special relationship which binds Britain and America still exists but the first encounter Barack Obama had with these shores was far from auspicious.

Twenty years ago, the then community organiser from Chicago was at Heathrow for a flight bound for Kenya. In his memoirs, Dreams From My Father, he recalls sitting next to a young "Brit" who casually informed the black American that he was off to apartheid-run South Africa to take up a government-sponsored apprenticeship. Obama spent much of the flight enraged by the man's casual insouciance. The new President-elect does not appear to have any great love of this part of the world.

Not that Gordon Brown isn't over the moon with his election. There are hopes within the Labour party that the ascent of the Democrat to the White House will restore the "Third Way" cross-Atlantic consensus built originally by Blair and Bill Clinton in the late Nineties – allowing Brown to catch a little of the stardust which trails in Obama's wake.

And while Labour managers may not know Obama's people as well as they know Team Clinton, the links are still deep – when Obama first rocketed into the public eye, in his famous convention speech in 2004, Labour ministers such as Douglas Alexander were in the audience.

Labour figures also recall Bill Clinton's visit to the Labour conference. There has even been fevered talk of how Brown's relationship with Obama may copy that nurtured between Harold MacMillan and John Kennedy, when the elder British statesman was seen to have guided the young American Turk through his first few days.

Labour's dream of a Brown-Obama love-in may be thwarted, however. What is increasingly clear is that while Obama will ditch the belligerent rhetoric of the Bush years, he will stick with an unapologetically American-centred view of the world.

Two particular issues are likely to demonstrate this quickly. Firstly, there is the global financial crisis. Brown will be in Washington next Saturday for a meeting of global finance leaders, hosted by George W Bush – where he may, or may not, get a prized photo opportunity with Obama. But most observers believe neither Bush nor Obama is about to yield to any move which restricts America's ability to decide for itself. Furthermore, Obama may be more inclined to listen to those within Congress who are advocating more protectionism as a way of shielding the US from further economic trouble.

And secondly, there is the question of Afghanistan, where Obama wants to see a huge increase in troop numbers to defeat the Taliban. The US Defence Secretary Robert Gates – who is likely to be kept on in the job by Obama – has already said he expects an American surge to be matched by increased numbers in other forces.

For Britain, this presents an immediate problem. There are already 8,000 British troops in Afghanistan. Even if British troops pull out of Iraq by Easter, as was mooted last week, any further increases in Afghanistan would be problematic.

Those possible tensions are for another day, however. The prize being worked on by the UK Embassy in Washington is to persuade Obama that his first official trip next spring should be to Britain. For Brown, at least, this relationship could be very special indeed.

'This will galvanise a whole community to reach higher'

Barack Obama's triumph will be an inspiration to many on this side of the Atlantic believe many leading black and Asian figures in Scottish and British public life.

Lord Morris of Handsworth, former general secretary of the TGWU and the first black leader of a British trade union:
"What Obama's victory demonstrates is that you have to keep hope alive and ensure that you don't write yourself off or write anybody off."

Bashir Ahmad, Scotland's first MSP from an ethnic minority:
"Tuesday's result will not only inspire young people to become more involved in politics but will galvanise a whole community to reach higher and smash through any glass ceiling in their way.

"Our challenge is to keep alive the momentum Obama's victory has generated."

Davena Rankin, Tory candidate in Glasgow East by-election:
"It sends a message that no matter where you come from, if you have got the drive and the ambition, you can do it. For a lot of black young men Obama is a fantastic role model."

Diane Abbott, first black woman elected to the House of Commons:
"We're in a society, both in America and Britain, where black men are demonised and vilified.

"Most weeks you can pick up a newspaper and, unless they're a sportsman, it means they've killed someone or they're mad. So it's a very good thing to see a positive image of a black man."

Baroness Scotland, the first black woman to serve as a British Cabinet minister:
"I would say to all young people, not just black young people: 'You can achieve!' Irrespective of your background, your ethnicity, your faith or your sexual orientation."

Dizzee Rascal, hip-hop artist, talking to Jeremy Paxman:
"If you believe, you can achieve, innit."

The Scots connection

Last week the First Minister issued an invitation for Barack Obama to visit Scotland during the 2009 Year of Homecoming.

What's more, Alex Salmond even claimed the America President-in-waiting as one of Jock Tamson's bairns. The SNP leader insisted that Obama's maternal ancestor, Edward FitzRandolph, emigrated from these shores to the new world in the 17th century.

If Obama's Caledonian roots were fresher you could expect the 44th President of the United States to deliver an altogether different opening to his inaugural address:

"Vice-President Biden, Mr Speaker, Mr Chief Justice and my fellow Americans. Speaking as the president of this great nation and in the spirit of reconciliation and bi-partisanship I'd like to say: 'Get it right up you, Dubya! We have put the kybosh on your monkey-heided bampottery once and for all.'

"By the way, Georgie-boy, I asked my new chief-of-staff to sort you oot with a colouring book and some crayons. So gonnae keep yer greeting face shut during my big speech, comprendez?"