Labour Minister 'in campaign for Obama' sparks diplomatic row

Senior Foreign Office officials claim David Lammy, hailed by some as "a British Obama", is linked to furiously denied reports last week of panic in Downing Street over the prospect of Barack Obama beating Hillary Clinton.

The reports coincided with junior education minister Mr Lammy, 35, joining Mr Obama on his campaign trail for the Democratic nomination – a trip which neither the British Embassy nor Mr Lammy's own department knew about.

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It was a private visit but eyebrows were raised in Whitehall because of the unwritten rule that Ministers should not endorse candidates in foreign elections.

His trip coincided with a newspaper article describing Mr Lammy as an "intermediary" who has tried to build closer relations between Gordon Brown and Mr Obama.

It claimed Downing Street was regretting its "arms length" approach to Mr Obama before the campaign started.

A diplomatic source said Mr Lammy's visit had caused anger.

"People are pointing the finger at Lammy for inspiring these reports. It is embarrassing – and untrue – to say Downing Street is worried about being frozen out by an Obama White House."

Tottenham MP Mr Lammy met Mr Obama at a party in 2005 for fellow graduates of Harvard Law School.

He has been called Mr Obama's "point man" in London, and has frequently paid tribute to the Democratic front-runner.

Last month Mr Lammy wrote of Mr Obama as "charming and intelligent but refreshingly able to laugh at himself".

He went on to compare Mr Obama to Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy.

Diplomatic convention holds that politicians should avoid taking sides during foreign election campaigns.

John Major ruined his relationship with Bill Clinton – and sent him into the arms of Tony Blair – by assisting dirt-digging by George Bush senior's team before the 1992 US election.

When The Mail on Sunday tried to put the claims to Mr Lammy he described the call as "inappropriate" and hung up.

A spokeswoman later said his visit to see Mr Obama was personal and he had paid for it himself. She said he had not taken part in any campaigning.

The British Embassy in Washington said Mr Brown offered to meet Mr Obama last summer before the campaign started but the senator decided not to visit the UK at that time.

An embassy spokesman said: "We were not aware that Mr Lammy was in the country. Ministers are under no obligation to inform us of visits."