LONDON REACTION:GORDON BROWN and David Cameron raced to embrace President- elect Barack Obama yesterday as Britons across party lines celebrated America's sense of a new beginning and history being made.
But the instant consensus quickly gave way to a Commons clash in which the prime minister and the Conservative leader offered different views as to why Americans had voted as they did - and what that might mean for Labour and Conservative prospects in the forthcoming general election.
Shortly after the historic concession and acceptance speeches were broadcast around the world, Mr Cameron seized hopefully on the spirit of "change", declaring: "In electing Barack Obama, America has made history and proved to the world that it is a nation eager for change.
"This has been an exciting and inspirational contest with two great candidates. In these difficult times people everywhere are crying out for change.
"Barack Obama is the first of a new generation of leaders who will deliver it - he has my wholehearted congratulations. This is an important moment not just for America but for the world.
"Barack Obama's victory will give people a new opportunity to look at the United States and see her for what I believe she is - a beacon of opportunity, freedom and democracy."
Already campaigning for re-election as the "experience" candidate, however, Mr Brown sidestepped the "change" theme in favour of an emphasis on Labour's shared commitment to the "progressive" policies of the victorious Democrat.
Having sent his congratulations to Senator Obama, his wife Michelle and their family, the prime minister hailed "a moment that will live in history as long as history books are written".
Confident that the new American president would prove "a true friend of Britain", Mr Brown said: "I know that the values we share in common and the policies we work on together will enable us, these two countries, to come through these difficult times and build a safer and more secure society for the future."
To the "mood for change" question, Mr Brown insisted: "I think people in difficult times are looking for the best progressive policies . . . I think what we and Senator Obama and his policies have in common is that we want to help hard-working families through this difficult economic time.
"We want to stabilise the financial system for the future and we want all countries to work together . . . so that we can make for a better future, not just for our countries but for the rest of the world.
"I believe that Senator Obama and I share those views and, as president-elect and then president, I'm looking forward to working very closely with him."
The prime minister added: "I believe the strong, historic relationships between Britain and America, as I believe Senator Obama acknowledges, are built not just on history and tradition, they are built on values . . . values that we hold in common."
During question time in the Commons Mr Cameron taunted Mr Brown that his congratulatory message to Senator Obama presumably didn't include the suggestion that "this was no time for a novice" - a reference to the prime minister's putdown of the Tory leader during the party conference season.
But an unabashed Mr Brown repeated another earlier line saying "serious times require serious people", while charging that the only change represented by the Conservatives was "that they change their mind every week" in response to the economic crisis.
Mr Brown said the Conservatives had rejected all the policies to support the US economy favoured by Senator Obama, and claimed Conservative Party policy had been rejected "in America and Britain".
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg challenged Mr Brown in turn to follow Senator Obama's pledge to cut taxes for those on low and middle incomes.
While Britons had not been able to vote in Tuesday's election, Mr Clegg said its outcome was vital to their future.
"Climate change, the global economy, and threats to our collective security now demand a radical new approach by Barack Obama, leaving the Bush era firmly behind," he said.
• MPs were reminded of the continuing life and death business of that era as Mr Brown, Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg led the tributes to a soldier from 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the 122nd member of the British forces killed in operations there since 2001.