Don't expect favours on climate, Bush tells Blair

His comments came after US President George Bush made clear he was not ready to sign up to any legally-binding limit on greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Bush told an interview for ITV1 that Prime Minister Tony Blair should not expect any special favours on the environment or Africa because of his staunch support over the war in Iraq.

Asked today about whether the US would support debt relief, Mr Brown said: "The issue with George Bush and the Americans is mainly that of climate change.

"As far as debt relief is concerned, they actually said they supported debt relief for 38 countries and America actually led the way in this with Britain and France and Germany."

There was progress on debt relief, aid and health, Mr Brown said, but there was still a "long way to go".

Trade protection policies also had to be addressed, he added.

"America's got to change, Europe's got to change, Japan's got to change," Mr Brown said.

"I think most people think it's absurd that we spend more subsidising a cow per day in Europe than we do on the amount of money given to a poor child in Africa."