Gordon Brown goes WAG in Watford

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Good morning from the Progressive Governance Summit, taking place somewhere improbably near Watford. The sun is shining and a legion of leftish world leaders are slowly emerging for an all-action morning discussing globalisation, climate change, development and international institutional reform. Expect a(nother) paper on global financial stability and a press conference at lunchtime. Might hear something on Zimbabwe too, if we're lucky.

The un-Brownian choice for this weekend's summit

The jamboree actually began last night, though sadly I missed the orgy of charisma that was the joint appearance between GB, Kevin Rudd of Australia and Helen Clark of New Zealand: one witness suggests the antipodeans were chosen because their coma-inducing lack of presence made our PM look positively Clintonesque in comparison.

Nominally, these events are supposed to be informal and collegiate, where the host relaxes and chews the fat with fellow-travellers. But I can't help wondering if Mr Brown is being a little inauthentic here, if only in his choice of venue. The Grove is the sort of place apparently much loved by footballers and their wives.* It has a "sequoia spa" and, inevitably, a golf course. I'm pretty sure I spotted a Harvester pub on the way here too.

In short, this is about as far as you can get from the Brownian notion of paradise without actually going to Brussels. (Can you imagine Gordon Brown playing golf? Me neither.)

Surely if he'd wanted to clasp his colleagues to his intellectual bosom, the PM should have taken them somewhere cold, harsh and ascetic: I'm sure Edinburgh University would have been delighted to lend their library to a distinguished graduate and his mates for the weekend.

* Still, they do a decent bacon sandwich.