This is no time for a meeting

The Telegraph is reporting that Gordon Brown will not be seeing the US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, the main mover on the US bailout plan, on his trip to the States. This is despite Brown saying in his conference speech that “I and then Alistair will meet financial and government leaders in New York” to make proposals for how to stabilise and “rebuild the world financial system”

Brown desperately needed to come out of the Labour conference with some momentum. But the Ruth Kelly resignation and the fact that his meetings in New York on the financial crisis in New York are far from high-powered have denied him that.
It is now imperative for Brown that the post-conference polls show a bounce for Labour. If they don’t, we could enter the end-game far faster than people are currently expecting.

PS: I think Paulson is wrong not to meet with Brown. Say what you like about Brown he is still the British Prime Minister and American officials should be prepared to meet and consult with the head of government of a nation that they regularly call their closest ally.