One of the big items in Conservative Party news this week was that Shadow Chancellor George Osborne – David Cameron’s number two – was going to meet the President for a meeting that represented a snub to Tony Blair’s likely successor Gordon Brown.

In fact, nothing of the sort happened. The Daily Telegraph’s US editor Toby Harnden analyzes what this spin says about the Tories’ attitude to America and the Administration. They’re playing games.

Toby also has his comments on the Democratic debate last night – where else would you see Mike Gravel described as “the grumpy old git of an uncle who turns up at Christmas and has a go at everyone”?