Welcome to the return of diplomacy

The Home Secretary is fucked. Alice Mahon has stuck the knife in. Alex Salmond has told Gordon to jog on and now it seems Labour party ballot boxes have been tampered with.

Could this be any worse for the British Labour party?

But what I find interesting is the transformation taking place on the other side of the Atlantic. As President Obama nears the end of his first 100 days in office a great deal of comment has focused on email account and backbiting (which is quite right) in London. Yet, there is a major sea-change occurring in Washington which hasn't attracted nearly as much attention in the British press.

Quite worryingly, as the Obama administration continues it's policy of 'not being Bush' the BBC reported this week that ammunition sales have soured across the States, even leaving some stores 'dry'.

Gun totting aside, Washington's approach towards a whole host of foreign and domestic policy issues warrants a degree of admiration. After all, it wasn't George Bush who brought a Castro to the table willing to discuss human rights.

I suspect many shall challenge Obama's team as liberal and, perhaps still worse, naive. However, as the recent dealings with Cuba and Venezuela demonstrate - listening and been seen to be 'prepared to engage' goes a long way in international relations. Indeed, the meeting of The Americas this week shall prove a prime testing ground for the Obama government.

It also, and this is the aspect which most interests me, appears as a much more coherent and 'active' government. Of course many issues could point towards Obama finding a similar situation to Brown. He's failed now, on numerous occasions, to get his nominees through the Houses. Yet, he still comes across as the dynamic leader even sprinkling pixie dust over less well liked European figures. *cough* Gordon *cough*.

But politics is a fickle game. Unless Obama can demonstrate real economic progress, improved international relations and a relative restoration of American prestige then I suspect the kinds of labels being applied to the Brown government shall easily make their way across the Atlantic.

After all, it's where Brown's reported to be heading in about 12 months...