When the UK has so often been the European Union's one nation "awkward squad".

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The awkward squad tends to despise conventional diplomacy and public relations, and is therefore bad at them.

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Yet though there were setbacks for some Eurosceptics, the awkward squad, broadly defined, will be much bigger in the new parliament.

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Mr Obama gave Joe Biden the leading role in managing America's withdrawal from Iraq and, sometimes, negotiating with the Republicans' awkward squad on Capitol Hill.

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Mr Woodley, though, soon became bracketed with what New Labour called "The Awkward Squad", a coalition of union leaders and rebel MPs who opposed some of Tony Blair's industrial policies.

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And he confirmed that he would be meeting with members of the union movement's new so-called awkward squad such as Amicus' Derek Simpson and the TGWU's Tony Woodley to see how they could "reclaim" the Labour Party.

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