Down but not out, Chancellor Gordon Brown left the troubles of recent weeks behind him when he met pupils from Cricklewood's Whitefield School on Tuesday.

Still bothered by biting remarks laid down in Paul Routledge's unofficial Gordon Brown: the Biography, the Chancellor was pleased to welcome the sixthformers outside Number 11 and congratulate them for improving their GCSE results by 40 per cent on the previous year.

Meanwhile, former Whitefield student Vikki Colyer, along with Henrietta Barnet sixth former Jo Ellis, spent the morning with Paul Boateng MP, parliamentary under secretary for Health.

Last year the girls represented England in the Youth Health Summit and met with Mr Boateng to share their findings.

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