Fool boy that I was, I told a man I took to be my friend, and he told our serjeant, and my brothers-in-arms come and relieved me o 'that burden.

The relationship between Beijing and Tripoli during the 42-year reign of Col. Moammar Gadhafi included a narrative of brothers-in-arms solidarity and plenty of anti-imperialism rhetoric.

The partnership between Mr Blair and Mr Brown-brothers in political arms from their early days in Westminster, then rivals for the top spot-was always odd.