Brown-Cameron spat over Thatcher bash

It is well known that Gordon Brown has a low opinion of David Cameron - some say his loathing is so deep he winces at the mere mention of his name - and this is amply demonstrated by his apparent attempt to exclude the Tory leader from the unveiling of a portrait of the former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at Downing Street.

Lady T had put Cameron's name on her guest list for the event, which will be hosted by the PM later this month. But according to the Daily Mail, when the list came back for final approval, D Cameron did not appear among the names.

A source familiar with the various to-ings and fro-ings told the Mail that Thatcher was then forced to challenge the omission. After this, his name was quickly restored. Brown's office, however, furiously deny the claims, saying the PM had not been "involved in the discussions about the guest list in any way".

But Brown has some previous on this front, appearing to have an aversion to rubbing shoulders with Conservatives, and particularly, it seems, those who went to Eton. As reported here, the London mayor (and fellow Old Etonian) Boris Johnson was bumped from his front row seat at a memorial service last year so that Brown could have Harriet Harman at his side rather than a top Tory.

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