Mumbai: More confident than ever he will soon be Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown is all smiles and banter on his tour of India beating the drum for British business. With the deadline for Tony Blair to step down approaching and another credible candidate yet to emerge, the Labour chancellor looks a sure bet to get the top job.
The difference in his mood has been palpable. The normally taciturn Brown, who turns 56 next month, spent hours talking and joking with journalists on the flight to India this week.
Asked by ITN News why "grumpy Gordon" had disappeared, Brown, at the Treasury since the Labour Party came to power in 1997, laughed and said: "Well, not having to talk about the balance of payments." "When you're looking at the next set of challenges the country faces I'm very excited...There's a chance for a huge breakthrough on the environment, on security and the economy. I think it's good for Britain. "I think that what's keeps me going, that's what makes me tick. That's what makes me excited about the future."
Brown has been setting out his stall for taking over from Blair - many believe this could happen in June - in a series of interviews and speeches, while distancing himself from some of Blair's more unpopular policies. On Wednesday in Bangalore, he set out his vision for foreign policy that called for an overhaul of the international institutions such as the United Nations to reflect the greater economic might of countries including India and China.
In New Delhi on Thursday he floated the idea of greater parliamentary oversight for Britain's security services and said terrorism had to be defeated by winning hearts and minds.
"I am happy to talk about things other than economics. For 10 years it has been a discipline talking about the big economic issues but I feel more relaxed talking about other issues as well," he said.
Even a row over accusations of racism towards actor Shilpa Shetty in British reality television show Celebrity Big Brother failed to throw Brown off track.
In Britain, more than 30,000 viewers complained to the media watchdog about the programme, while Indian supporters of Shilpa have burned effigies of her alleged abusers. Brown said he condemned anything that detracted from Britain's reputation as a country that celebrated fairness and tolerance.
On Friday he visits Bollywood in Mumbai where he will meet some of the sub-continent's biggest stars.
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