Beer unites Cameron and Obama
The ‘special relationship’ has been boosted by alcohol as David Cameron and Barack Obama exchanged bottles of beer, resolving a World Cup bet.
In their first face-to-face meeting since Mr Cameron entered No 10 last month, the pair resolved their bet made before the England v USA World Cup encounter.
That game ended 1-1, allowing for reciprocal beer-giving. Mr Obama gave a Chicago beer called Goose Island 312, while Mr Cameron provided a bottle of Hobgoblin.
“I advised him that in America we drink our beer cold, so he has to put this in the refrigerator before he drinks it,” Mr Obama said.
A Downing Street spokesperson said both leaders further reiterated their “firm commitment” to the US-UK relationship in behind-the-scenes talks.
Mr Obama also praised the way Mr Cameron had handled the Saville inquiry into Bloody Sunday.
The US president and British prime minister were travelling on Marine One together after the G8 summit, where Mr Cameron was forced to raise the BP issue.
The energy firm, which the British government has been at pains to point out is Anglo-American in terms of both its employee make-up and shareholdings, has been castigated by US politicians and press in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
“The leaders agreed that BP should meet its obligations to cap the leak, clean up the damage and meet legitimate compensation claims,” Downing Street.
“They also agreed that it was to both countries’ advantage for BP to remain a strong and stable company.”
Afghanistan was also addressed, after Mr Obama dismissed former commander Stanley McChrystal after unguarded comments in an interview for Rolling Stone magazine. The pair acknowledged a “strong political strategy” was needed to complement the military campaign.
