Old Gordon is back

What a difference a day in Brussels makes. Yesterday, the visiting Gordon Brown was practically a man reborn, all smiles and relaxation as he sketched out his plans for reordering the financial universe and generally revelled in his newfound role as saviour of the world. 

But overnight, someone appears  to have whispered  in his ear and reminded him that, actually, he's not the messiah, he's ten points behind in the polls and the head of a country that's tipping into a very nasty recession.

So at his press conference today, old, serious Gordon is back with a grim vengeance.  Every answer is skewed into a pre-packed lecture about how the Government is striving to help "hardworking families."   

At one point, he even declared: "I'm getting on with the job."    And he mangled a few words wonderfully: Kyoto became "Kyota."    President Bush became President Boosh.

That's right, folks, normal service is resumed. 

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