Brown plans US talks with Bush

Confirmation of the visit came as Mr Brown's spokesman described as "nonsense" interpretations of a speech given by International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander.

They had suggested Mr Alexander - a confidante of Mr Brown - was trying to distance the UK from American foreign policy.

Mr Brown told Radio 5 Live: "We will not allow people to separate us from the United States of America in dealing with the common challenges that we face around the world.

"I think people have got to remember that the relationship between Britain and America and between a British prime minister and an American president is built on the things that we share, the same enduring values about the importance of liberty, opportunity, the dignity of the individual.

"I will continue to work, as Tony Blair did, very closely with the American administration."

Mr Brown has spoken to Mr Bush three times since becoming Prime Minister, including a lengthy video conference call earlier this week.

Mr Alexander had called in his speech for the virtues of "soft power" to be recognised. He told an audience in Washington that nations had to build "new alliances" which "reach out to the world".

That was interpreted by some as a change in tack on relations with the White House.

The Prime Minister's spokesman hit back: "I thought the interpretation that was put on Douglas Alexander's words was quite extraordinary. To interpret this as saying anything at all about our relationship with the US is nonsense."