Brown146;s reforms

In Davos, fresh from his India visit, he was spirited, briskly jogging through the points on his agenda for a reformed global institutional architecture. These are testing times, he said for anyone who believes in inclusive, sustainable globalisation. As financial and economic crises appear to loom, three familiar responses could easily be grabbed: heavyhanded regulation, protectionism, inactivity. There is also the danger of being over-optimistic and over-emphasising silver linings and playing down the greyness of the clouds. Among his suggestions was advice to be less protectionist on sovereign wealth funds.

Brown said that the global network of institutions was made in the 1940s, in a world of 50 states. It can8217;t deal with the new problems of 2008, problems of climate change, failed states, non-state terrorism, pandemics, the sheer power of the Internet.

Three big changes are needed, he said. One: the UN takes years to do anything. He recommended a 8220;civilian and military standby agency8221; that can be rushed to troublespots for peacekeeping, stabilisation and reconstruction. In these areas are needed the police and lawyers, not peacekeepers.

Two: the IMF should serve as an early warning system for the world economy, as an international central bank.

Three: the World Bank must add environment to its remit for development.

Post-prime ministerism

Tony Blair, whose contract of succession with Brown remains unknown, was quick to move from from prime ministership to his responsibility as the Quartet8217;s envoy to Palestine. He has signed on as a senior advisor to J P Morgan. He is on the foundation board of the World Economic Forum. And it is still in the realm of whispered speculation that he could run to be the European Union8217;s first fully fledged president Nicolas Sarkozy has already endorsed his unannounced candidature.

Bill Clinton was to have been the Davos Man most eligible to be a model ex-head-of-state. Blair appears to have beaten him to the title. Here he is, sprinting on to podium after podium, moderating sessions on Israel-Palestine, commending Palestinian Authority PM Salam Fayyad and regretting that Israeli foreign minister Livni8217;s parents had been imprisoned during the British Mandate. 8220;That8217;s the tough thing about being a British Prime Minister, you have to go around the world apologising.8221; Sessions on Faith and Modernisation, proclaiming Mahdi Hadavi as 8220;the youngest and best of religious leaders in Iran8221;.

Blair has been offering his comments on US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice8217;s address. Basically: well done, 8220;Condi8221;. And asking questions of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

In other words: a man for every subject, and possibly assignment.

Man of the City

Ken Livingstone is not yet looking to move on to retirement, and says he is optimistic about his chances of being re-elected mayor of London. Davos would once not have been Red Ken8217;s idea of a stint in the Alps. But on Saturday, here he was, cheerfully launching the World Economic Forum8217;s SlimCity Initiative. SlimCity is aimed at fostering exchange between cities and the private sector to support action on resource efficiency in cities 8212; actions in areas that include energy, water, waste, mobility, planning, health and climate change.

Livingstone is a prime participant, with cities like New York and Milan looking to finetune further his introduction of a congestion tax in the City of London.

Now, he recommends that cities require more a decisive governance role. Except for megastates like India, China and the US, he explains, in most countries cities are more adept at meeting national objectives than the average-size national government. Governments can be too distracted by larger agendas and challenges. Cities must rule themselves more.

Now, which of these three Labour men will like most the idea that they are united in finding ways of administrative reform?