Glad to turn the spotlight away from the many vital issues facing his country, indeed the world, not to mention his predilection for basking in the warm glow of others success, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among the first to congratulate Lewis Hamilton on winning the 2008 Formula One World Championship.

"I, like so many, want to congratulate him on becoming World Champion, the first championship I think of many that he's going to win in years to come," said Brown yesterday, during a visit to the Middle East.

"I think the whole country is thrilled by his exceptional talent," he continued. "I think the whole of Britain are (sic) proud of the inspirational Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren team."

In the Middle East in an attempt to persuade the oil producing countries to splash some of their cash around the world and thereby help alleviate the current global financial crisis, Brown would no doubt have loved to have been at Interlagos where he could have congratulated Hamilton in person.

Had he attended on Friday, he might have bumped in to Minister for the Olympics Tessa Jowell.

In 1997, when the Labour Party came to power, Brown was Chancellor of the Exchequer and Jowell the Health Minister involved, along with Tony Blair and Bernie Ecclestone, in the infamous 'tobacco donation' row.