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A personal gift from Dubya...but will Gordon REALLY wear his new bomber jacket?
Last updated at 07:37am on 02.08.07It is an unlikely gift to give a man seldom seen out of a suit.
Perhaps the giver, George Bush, was stuck for ideas, and tried to think of something he'd like to find in his stocking on Christmas morning.
Or, more likely, he's trying a bit of subtle American humour on the recipient, Gordon Brown.
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Love from George: The jacket given to Gordon Brown
The U.S. President gave the casual brown bomber jacket to the Prime Minister as a souvenir of their meeting at Camp David this week.
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The US president gave the casual brown bomber jacket to Gordon Brown as a souvenir of their meeting at Camp David this week
It arrived just after the summit, at which Mr Brown ignored the usual relaxed dress code and insisted on wearing a suit - forcing his counterpart to do the same.
The name patch
Their meeting was a far cry from the cosy get-together between Mr Bush and Tony Blair in 2001, at which the President wore his own bomber jacket and Mr Blair a pair of very tight purple cords.
And the contrast was apparently deliberate-Downing Street is said to believe the 2001 meeting set the tone for a relationship that made it difficult for Mr Blair to speak candidly to Mr Bush.
In any case, the new Prime Minister rarely goes out in public in anything but a jacket and tie.
And friends last night predicted he would 'not be seen dead' in a bomber jacket, even one with carrying the presidential seal and the "Rt Hon Gordon Brown" in gold on a patch, and trimmed with a fur collar.
Its value is likely to exceed the £140 limit on ministerial gifts, which means Mr Brown must decide whether to buy it, or allow it to be put into storage.
Downing Street refused to comment on these pictures of the jacket that were circulating yesterday, because it does not officially disclose the presents received by the Prime Minister.
President Bush wearing his bomber jacket
Reader views (6)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Who paid for the jacket?
- Warren Miller, West Hollywood, CA. USA
Typical thoughtless act by our brain dead "leader".
- Ken F., Alexandria, VA USA
"Here Gordon, you can wear this as we bomb the hell out of Iran"
- Daveb, LONDON
Going from the previous relationship between GWB and Blair I think 'bomber jacket' is scarily close to the mark.
- Riverghost, London
Hardly the attire for Prime Minister's Questions. Might come out at Chequers if they have a fancy dress party.
- Robert, Kirk Ella, East Yorks.,
When the economy takes its DIVE maybe then he'll feel in need of the BOMBER jacket.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
