Barack Obama made a surprise appearance in Downing Street for talks with Rishi Sunak today.
The former US president waved and smiled as he strolled up to the famous No10 door this afternoon.
The visit, which lasted around an hour as the pair chatted in the PM’s study, was described as a ‘courtesy call’ as Mr Obama happened to be in London.
One of the highest profile previous trips by Mr Obama was 2016, when he notoriously stood alongside David Cameron and warned that Britain would be ‘at the back of the queue’ for a trade deal after leaving the EU.
Barack Obama made a surprise appearance in Downing Street for talks with Rishi Sunak today
The former US president waved and smiled as he strolled up to the famous No10 door this afternoon
It is not clear why Mr Obama is in the UK, and his visit was not included in the government’s business diary for the day
That intervention amid the referendum battle sparked fury from Brexiteers, although they also regarded it as helpful to their anti-establishment campaign.
The UK has not signed a trade deal with the US, although there was a major push for one when Donald Trump was president.
Mr Obama was in the White House from 2009 to 2017, with Joe Biden serving as his vice president.
The PM’s official spokesman said: ‘He was making an informal courtesy drop-in as part of his trip to London, where he is conducting work of the Obama Foundation.’
The spokesman added: ‘I think President Obama’s team made contact and obviously the Prime Minister was very happy to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation.’
The former US president said ‘I’m tempted’ when media shouted questions as he emerged, but did not stop to reply.
Instead he got into a Range Rover car with Jane D Hartley, the US ambassador to the UK, just after 4pm.
One of the highest profile previous trips by Mr Obama was 2016, when he notoriously stood alongside David Cameron and warned that Britain would be ‘at the back of the queue’ for a trade deal after leaving the EU
