Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding, we suppose, follows political events where a large number of people of Jamaican heritage live. If he doesn't, he should, especially the actions this past weekend of Gordon Brown, the Labour prime minister, who, like Mr Golding, is facing an electorate that has turned sour on his government. One opinion poll published on Saturday showed the Opposition Tories with 42 per cent, leading Labour (30 per cent) by 12 percentage points in the popular vote. The Liberal/Democrats had a support of 17 per cent.

On the basis of the latest poll numbers, the Conservatives, who have won a series of recent by-elections, including in previously safe Labour constituencies, would win a clear majority in a general election and thwart the Labour Party's bid for a fourth straight term in government when Britons vote in 2010.

Worst crisis

Like in Jamaica, and with Mr Golding's party, the major cause of Labour's and Mr Brown's woes is the state of the British economy. It has tanked. Months ago, Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the exchequer (finance minister), inappropriately, perhaps, warned that Britain was facing its worst crisis in 60 years. Indeed, the global credit problem, triggered by America's subprime mortgage crisis, had its most dramatic early manifestation in Britain a year ago with the near collapse and run on the mortgage bank, Northern Rock.

This brings us to the potential lesson for Mr Golding from Mr Brown's weekend actions. It is about how the British premier has responded to a crisis. Gordon Brown, a little over a year at the helm since succeeding Tony Blair as Labour's leader and PM, shuffled his Cabinet. But ministerial changes apart, Mr Brown has configured something of a 'war Cabinet' on the economy and, operating out of character, has decided to take political risks.

Special ministerial council

Significantly, he has brought back to the Cabinet, as the minister responsible for business, an arch 'Blairite' and former political enemy, Peter Mandelson, who was commissioner for trade at the European Commission in Brussels. A number of business figures have also been brought into government, including Paul Myners, the chairman of the Guardian Media Group, who will join other heavyweights on the special ministerial council, to be chaired by Mr Brown, that will meet twice weekly to deal with issues of the economy. A group of key civil servants will operate parallel to this 'war Cabinet' to ensure that its decisions and policies translate to effective action in government.

At the same time, Mr Brown is to establish a group of what has been dubbed 'business ambassadors', who will help to push Britain's economic line abroad. Among this group are important figures such as Sir John Bond, chairman of the telecommunications group Vodaphone; Marcus Agius, chairman of Barclays; and Sir Victor Blank, chairman of Lloyds TSB.

The point is that while his immediate motivation may be partly political, that is in an effort to stave off political defeat, Gordon Brown understands that Britain faces an economic crisis that demands new and creative responses - risk taking even. Which is what he has done.

Jamaica's crisis is deeper, we insist. Our economy is far more fragile and more subject to the effects of externalities. Golding has more reason for creative, out-of-the-box thinking.