Abroad Brown has proven himself a formidable leader - what goes wrong when he gets back to Britain?

Lauded: Mr Brown addresses the Knesset, the Israeli parliament There was a time when it was fashionable for Gordon Brown’s allies to deride Tony Blair for his incessant globetrotting and his seemingly insatiable desire to ingratiate himself with foreign leaders. The Iron Chancellor, they would murmur quietly, was far too busy worrying about domestic issues to trouble himself with the jet-set existence of the international diplomatic circuit. Apart from required attendance at financial summits, where he excelled, Mr Brown made a virtue of spending as little time overseas as possible. While others tucked into the foie gras and Chablis, he would head straight for the airport and home. How things have changed. Figures released by Downing Street show that Mr Brown spent nearly £1million on foreign travel in his first year as Prime... [read full story]