Britain still sits at the top table for most purposes, though in increasing discomfort.
He will claim a seat for Europe at the top table when a peace process beckons.
To Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats, it meant that there was a seat at the top table.
The G20 meeting in Pittsburgh secured the place of emerging markets at the top table of global economic policy.
ECONOMIST: The face of global economic governance is changing
Mr Jones took the smiling and clapping, mind-your-body-language seat at the top table, Mr Smith took to the lectern.
They lack scale and resources and are usually underrepresented at the top table.
Seated alongside Bradley at the top table is the gaunt-looking Brian Dooher, who has five Ulster medals and three All-Ireland gongs.
But health spokeswoman Baroness Northover insisted Healthwatch would have "clout" and a "seat at the top table" in representing the interests of patients and the public.
The previous French attempt to regain a place at the top table of military planning collapsed in 1996, partly because France bid too high for senior commands.
They joined for the wrong reasons - a determination to have a seat at the top table rather than a careful analysis of the country's economic interests.
His third incarnation, as a maverick at the top table of power politics, came after he had led the Greens to their best-ever result, in the 1998 elections.
As my colleague, Laurence Norman reported Thursday, the British will get a seat at the top table on the summit due in late-January or early-February to discuss these matters.
America is not, but new rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission will require firms to reveal what, if anything, they are doing to increase diversity at the top table.
He eventually graduated to more high-profile roles in films such as "Yuva" and Karan Johar's "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, " also known as KANK, taking his place at the top table.
Forget all that, the ICA now wants to be part of the art world establishment, to sit with confidence at the top table with Tate, the Serpentine and the Frieze Art Fair.
France, of course, has long been the bogeyman of the Atlantic alliance, always anxious to stake its claim to a seat at the top table and yet always seen as inevitably and irritatingly slow to endorse American-led initiatives.
However, even with the rise of the G20 as the main global economic decision making body, with China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa all at the top table, the world appears to lack the governance architecture to achieve the conditions for this kind of enduring economic reform.
But he also knows that the context is changing in front of his eyes.. The alternative, if Wales is going to keep up with its Caledonian cousins in terms of that four-way administration split, is to accumulate further powers for the Assembly in new fields, in order to maintain the credibility of his seat at the top table.
Their bonus point for scoring four tries means they are two points clear at the top of the table, although the top three at the start of the day - Wasps, Saracens and London Irish - are all in action on Sunday, while Leicester play Bath later on Saturday.
The win extends Lynn's lead at the top of the table to five points.
In the Shropshire Premier League , Albrighton made a slight inroad into Reman's lead at the top of the table.
The win maintains their nine-point lead at the top of the table over Napoli who were 5-3 winners at Torino.
Paul Pogba scored two memorable goals as the reigning champions moved five points clear at the top of the table.
That means the situation at the top of the table is as tight as ever but with one game less to play.
The Blues moved back above Manchester United and are a point clear at the top of the table with two games to play.
The defeat is likely to see Glamorgan replaced at the top of the table by Sussex, but they are 17 points ahead of third-placed Gloucestershire.
The win keeps Chelsea one point ahead of title rivals Manchester United at the top of the table with a game in hand on their rivals.
With nearest rivals Bayern Munich defeating Hanover 2-1 the day before, Dortmund needed a win to restore their five-point advantage at the top of the table.
However, Glasgow never really looked likely snatching victory as Leinster moved four points clear of the Warriors, Edinburgh and Munster at the top of the table.
The result means city rivals AC Milan will cut their advantage at the top of the table to a single point if they defeat Chievo on Sunday.
应用推荐