Taxpayer pays for economy class seat for George Bush's bomber jacket present to Gordon Brown

Before the Bush-Brown summit, I warned of potential cring-making arrangements in the choreography of the press conferences, or even a potential "Bomber Jacket" moment.

The Colgate moment, from the first Bush-Blair summit, was repeated in some way. Apparently toothpaste was mentioned by Bush, according to the Norfolk Blogger. I missed it.

But now it is clear that the bomber jacket moment did indeed rear its ugly head as well.

George Bush gave Gordon Brown a fur-trimmed genuine Aviator bomber jacket complete with name tag with official title (Rt Hon Gordon Brown) on the left breast and, according to the BBC's Nick Assinder: "a Camp David badge with the presidential seal on the other."

When Blair was given one of these things, he donned it when he got into the helicopter at the end of the visit.

Gordon Brown has a little more sense and taste. According to Nick Assinder:

...the item was left rather dismissively in its large, gold-papered box in an economy class seat in the prime minister's on his return trip to the UK.

So, the British taxpayer paid for a seat for Bush's flying jacket present to be cast aside "dismissively".

....Worth every penny I'd say.