What Berlin is prepared to do is to join London in reducing regulation and revisiting what can best be left to a national parliaments rather than decided at a European level.

BBC: Cameron's hardest speech

This may buy politicians in Washington and London time to work out what to do if something is found.

BBC: Syria chemical weapons claims: UK and US tread cautiously

Companies such as Armor Holdings, or Control Risks, a consultancy based in London, are always keen to stress what they do not do.

ECONOMIST: Corporate security

It is not clear what America can do to a company that is based in Gibraltar, listed in London and has no offices or servers in America.

ECONOMIST: A blue-chip investment? | The

"We showed the world what we can do in London 2012 - now is the time to capitalise on this great success and the expertise so many British companies demonstrated in delivering the Games, " said Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green.

BBC: UK firms win Rio 2016 Olympic contracts

Another new Labour man, Tom Copley, pushed the mayor on what he was going to do to mitigate the effects of the housing benefit cap in London.

BBC: Boris Johnson quizzed by London Assembly

It caused quite a controversy in London, which is what images like that are meant to do.

BBC: NEWS | Middle East | Picture power: Death of an Iraqi soldier