For President-elect Obama
Congratulations to Barack Obama, President-elect! I would like to welcome the United States back into the world community of progressive nations. I'm sure many of us Liberals will never forget last night and we are filled with joy and hope. Thank you America for finally rejecting the utterly failed 'trickle-down' economics and the cowboy diplomacy of the disastrous Bush years! Two hopes of a British Liberal for Presient Obama: 1. Please don't give-in to the temptation of protectionist policies- they may be short-term popular but would be long-term harmful for us all. We need free trade regulated by international agreement. 2. Please set as an urgent Administration priority the rebuilding and reform of the institutions of global governance such as the UN. Those are my two requests. What do fellow Liberals hope for?

A good night for the Democrats across the USA with them increasing their majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Obama will have some very big expectations to live up to when he takes office in January.

President-elect Obama has promised a more equal relationship between the USA and the UK with an end to the 'Yo Blair' era. The reactionary and counter -productive imperialism of Bush and Blair must be replaced with the rebuilding of international institutions, active diplomacy and real dialogue. Closing Guantanamo would be a signal of respect for International Law and an early priority. Rebuilding sound finance and economic stimulus will need new regulation, middle class tax cuts, redirection of investment towards infrastructure and green energy jobs and cutting Government waste on non-productive programmes. Longer term, the reform and extension of health care and the development of education that equips Americans to learn the skills neede to compete in global markets are long overdue. The work has already begun with the gathering of a broadly-based team of expertise and enthsiasm unencumbered by the blind dogmatism of the Bush era.