No solyootion here

It’s becoming clear that the PM has shot himself in the foot with the focus he’s put on the G20 summit.

The approaching event in London is crucial to him politically, obviously, because as we’ve been told the recession is a “global problem” that needs a “global solyootion”.

But to get the kind of joined-up thinking he wants is going to be nigh on impossible.

No Government is going to want to look like an internationalist – even less so to make international concessions – when things are so bad at home.

You only need to look at Obama’s cool language to guess that much.

Things have been made worse through the embarrassment over a leaked document (see it on the FT’s site here) showing the Foreign Office rates some countries as second rate – including old allies Australia and Canada.

The feeling that Brown is doing something that is working would receive a big boost if an international deal were sealed – imagine all those leaders back slapping.

But if it fails, by Brown’s own analysis of our situation, it means the economy will go down like a sinking ship – and we all know what happens to captains of sinking ships.

If that does happen we may well be in for an international finger pointing fest - which is always fun.