Gordon Brown at the Newz Bar in Liverpool tonight
Liverpool's Newz Bar is a seemingly unlikely place for Gordon Brown to host a Labour reception.
It is frequented more often by celebrities than Prime Ministers.
In thanking owner Paul Flanagan (a Labour supporter) for the use of the Water Street venue Mr Brown, to laughs from the audience, was left to ponder how long he would be allowed to stay in the normally celebrity packed venue.
After meeting Everton FC manager David Moyes and Liverpool FC legend Jamie Carragher in the VIP section the PM made his way through the packed crowd.
Signing autographs as he went, more like a rock star than politician, he cut a relaxed figure.
At ease he delivered a fluent quarter-hour long speech, quotes from American Presidents rolling off his tongue.
As one would expect the crowd loved it.
Plenty of Labour top brass were there (ahead of tomorrow's cabinet meeting in the city): Ed Balls, Hazel Blears, John Hutton, John Denham, and others.
Merseytravel's chief executive was spotted sporting a new beard. No doubt he was lobbying hard for the government to provide cash to fund Merseytram. After all it would create hundreds of jobs and help the government spend its way out of the recession.
The Dusanj brothers, who own the city's Cains Brewery, were also there. As was Jim Gill, chief executive of development agency Liverpool Vision, public health expert John Ashton, and Pamela Brown of the city's prestigious Athenaeum private members club.
Some had spent ã20 for tickets of the event, billed as giving the opportunity to speak to the PM - few got the chance. Judging by the number of people whipping out their camera phones to grab a snap or video of the man, they were probably just pleased to be there.
Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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