Obama’s Gift to Gordon Brown: 25 DVDs.

When Gordon Brown travelled to America to meet with President Obama he hoped to start a strong friendship with the new leader in order to continue the ‘special relationship’ between the US and the UK. In these tough economic times forging strong international relationships with other countries is very important to us. Whilst many of us in the UK wished to distance ourselves from America during President Bush’s reign his departure could have heralded a new link between us.

It turns out that Obama isn’t so keen. Gordon Brown took three gifts for the new president when he visited:

• A pen holder fashioned from oak from HMS Gannet, a Navy vessel that served on anti-slavery missions off Africa. (The Oval Office desk is also made from the remains of the Gannet.)
• A framed commissioning paper for the HMS Resolute, a Royal Navy ship that came to symbolize British-American goodwill when it was rescued by the U.S. from icebergs and given to Queen Victoria.
• A first edition copy of Martin Gilbert’s biography of Winston Churchill.

Obama’s gift in return was… 25 DVDs of popular American films. It’s hard to read that as anything other than a blatant snub.

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