Cameron gets through to Obama - but only for five minutes

During a five-minute phone call yesterday David Cameron congratulated Barack Obama on his re-election, before swiftly getting back to business at hand, with the two pledging to work together on a range of international issues.

They discussed the situation in Syria, the transition to democracy in Libya and proposals for a new EU/US free trade agreement. Afterwards Downing Street said both men agreed to have further talks in the coming weeks. In an interview yesterday the outgoing US Ambassador to London, Louis Susman, said relations between the two men had never been better. "It is an exceedingly close relationship," he said. "I would say most of the time the first call he will make on any issue, will be to Cameron and vice versa."