His was the name on everyone’s lips this week, and even Wales’s education ministers couldn’t help but sing the praises of Barack Obama as he made his historic bid for the US presidency this week.

Despite their party leader Gordon Brown’s official neutral stance on the American election candidates, Assembly Labour ministers Jane Hutt and John Griffiths could not hide their enthusiasm for an Obama presidency at a morning press briefing.

Mr Griffiths, deputy minister for skills, told reporters on Tuesday - polling day in the US - that Mr Obama could help ease the world’s economic woes if elected president, adding “as we all hope he will”.

At the end of the briefing Ms Hutt, the education minister, reiterated her colleague’s support for Mr Obama.

But neither mentioned his opponent, older and more “conservative” candidate John McCain.

Mr Obama, the Democrat candidate, made history on Wednesday by beating Republican candidate John McCain to become America’s first black president, taking the White House in a landslide victory.