I went out today to ask people in the area around my office in central London what they thought about Obama’s win. Despite my best efforts to find some who were not happy about the change of leadership in the United States, I didn’t manage…even the cab driver was enthusiastic. So, this is not meeting the Reuters rules of providing a balanced picture …but it’s a snapshot of what some people in London had to say on this historic day.

If you have problems watching the video on this post, go here.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was reported today as saying the U.S. presidential campaign has been “historic” because of its candidates but he declined to pick a winner.

That was in keeping with what a PM would do in such circumstances, saying simply that it’s for the American people to decide.

Brown earlier this year rejected suggestions he endorsed  Obama’s presidential candidacy in an article. Brown, who has met both Obama and McCain in London and Washington, said afterwards he “admired both” but in his article had praised Obama for measures he proposed to help people deal with foreclosures.

Key international issues on the PM’s agenda when he first talks to the new U.S. president will be measures to reform the financial system and a solution to the Middle East conflict. He said today in an interview with Al-Arabiya television on the final day of his tour of the Gulf he was hopeful that a settlement could be negotiated soon.

“I think that’s possible, I think people understand how it can happen. We know that very detailed negotiations have taken place over the last few months,” he was quoted as saying.

“We know that the political situation at the moment has made it difficult for this to be brought to a conclusion, but I think that given people understand not only the importance but how a solution would look, I think it’s possible with the right circumstances to move quickly to a settlement.”