At least Gordon Brown has lived up to his Mr Bean image in Europe this week

A few weeks ago acting lib Dem leader Vince Cable commented in Prime Ministers Questions about the remarkable transformation of Gordon Brown from Stalin to Mr Bean. Already in the UK, this label has stuck with Gordon Brown has his government shuffles from one crisis to another, with each crisis seemingly born of his own party's incompetence. But in Europe, Gordon Brown had no image problems. He was seen as a strong chancellor, a man who could be relied upon and a new leader with get up and go. Oh how those illusions bust be shattered now.

Gordon Brown's dreadful late show of turning up after the treaty had been signed by everyone else was designed to show that that Gordon Brown puts the sovereignty of the UK parliament above the EU, but was also supposed to avoid unwanted photos of him shaking hands with European leaders smiling away as he signed away powers to the EU.

What his actions did though was neither of those things.

His staying in parliament looks to Europeans like he is scared of the UK parliament, whilst to Euro sceptics, his sighing of the treaty when most of the foreign press had gone home made him look dishonest and like he knew he was doing something he shouldn't be doing.

Given the similarities between Mr Brown and Mr Bean, it is perhaps apt that the last Mr Bean featured the hapless character getting lost in Europe. How apt for Gordon.