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Gordon 'The Clunking Fist' Brown
Age: 57
Height: 5ft 11ins
Strengths: "Formidable intellect", workaholic, prudence, mastery of detail, patience - it has taken Mr Brown 13 years to become PM
Weaknesses: Often portrayed as a "control freak". Accused by opponents of "dithering" over last autumn's aborted general election and a succession of other decisions since then
Style: Dour, reserved, intellectual, bank manager
Wife: Married ex-PR executive Sarah Macauley, 45, in 2000. Low-key, under-stated style. Charity worker and credited with smartening up Mr Brown.
Children: Sons - John, aged four, and James Fraser, aged two
Favourite music: Coldplay and, famously, the Arctic Monkeys in the morning
Favourite food: Scottish dish Rumbledthumps
Background: Son of a Church of Scotland minister, who grew up in Glasgow before the family moved to Kirkcaldy.
Life before politics: Was schoolboy academic prodigy, university rector in early 20s and TV producer before becoming an MP in 1983
Famous foes?: Spent years reportedly in behind the scenes battles with Blair
Key Quotes:
I will try my utmost. This is my promise to all of the people of Britain

All I believe and all I try to do comes from the values I grew up with: duty, honesty, hard work, family and respect for others. Everyone deserves a fair chance in life

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Nicolas 'The Rock Star' Sarkozy
Age: 53
Height: 5ft 6ins
Strengths: Moderniser, workaholic, ambitious, determined - contributed to the closure of Sangatte immigrant camp
Weaknesses: Publicity surrounding his whirlwind romance with Ms Bruni was a departure from French tradition of keeping presidential private lives private
Style: Charmer, Ray Bans, bling, Rolex, jogger
Wife: Second wife Cecilia divorced him in October. Married glamorous Italian supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni, 40, in February, 2008.
Children: Three sons from two previous marriages, plus Ms Bruni's son Aurelien.
Favourite music: Listening to French rocker Johnny Hallyday
Favourite food: Partial to Thai food
Background: Son of a Hungarian immigrant and a French mother of Greek Jewish origin.
Life before politics: Trained as a lawyer and was mayor of the affluent Paris suburb of Neuilly before becoming interior minister in 2002
Famous foes?: Fell out with mentor Chirac after backing rival for president in 1995
Key quotes:
Certain people in France call me Sarkozy the American. I'm proud of it. I'm a man of action. I do what I say and I try to be pragmatic.

Why so much hatred [directed at me]? Perhaps it's because I say out loud what everyone quietly thinks.

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