The irony is delicious. For a couple of centuries at least Britain grew rich and powerful by looting its former colonies. When that fell apart Churchill formulated the ' special relationship ' with the United States which was essentially that of master and slaves. If the British had any illusions about friendship as equals it was quickly destroyed during the Suez crisis when America showed that without its backing Britain was just a tiny island in the North Sea. American might was again demonstrated when Britain was helped to hang on to its illegal occupation of the Falklands Islands and since then British Prime Ministers have rushed to Washington on periodic pilgimages of homage to whoever was occupying the White House. During last year's elections the British journalists were lavish in their eulogies to Obama and utterly contemptuous of McCain and Palin. It would be impossible to imagine any coloured Prime Minister for the institutionally racist British so Obama's victory gave them a chance for virtual political correctness. British sailors made enormous fortunes by trading in slaves and their former colonies in Africa and the West Indies were run by slave labour. It is, therefore, hilarious to see Downing Street celebrating the fact that Prime Minister Gordon Brown is the first European leader to visit Washington and pay homage to a black man. Down you go Gordon, down on your knees boy and lick well. Delicious.