Last week's visit to the UK by George Bush left me with an unexpected range of emotions.

In spite of my extreme distaste for the Bush administration's policies, I don't believe, however, that stopping Bush from coming to the UK would be a good idea. What is the alternative? Would having him confined to the US make him more or less understanding of the fact that the rest of the world does not necessarily yearn to be American? The more outside contact he has and the more he gets to visit and speak to representatives of other points of view the better.

Tony Blair may have supported the war on Iraq, but to assume on this basis that he is simply a poodle and can have no influence is a very gross simplification. The UK's position over a potential conflict in Iran is clearly more on the Franco-German side of the divide, for example. Bush knows that if America's greatest ally were to fail to put it's hat in the ring, this would greatly undermine the regime's credibility at home. There is also some evidence that Blair may have Bush's ear over the Israel-Palestine issues, based on the language used in the Banqueting House speech and others in the wake of 9/11, which is a foot in the door which must be exploited at this critical juncture.

Unfortunately, the street protests were never going to emulate the potency of those held before the war. There are so many reasons to hate Bush that it proved impossible to impart a strong focus into the main demonstrations. There wasn't even a clear message as to what the protesters wanted this time. Did they want the US out of Iraq, or did they want them to stay and finish what they started? In the end the protesters came across as hating a man rather than his policies, and appeared spiteful as opposed to righteously angry.

Have any concessions been won to curb the excesses of the Bush regime in the course of the visit in exchange for the President's acquisition of a fancy photo album, ripe for exploitation in the coming election campaign? Nothing tangible at this stage, although that doesn't necessarily mean much. Subtle changes in positioning on geopolitical issues will only reveal themselves over time.