Barack Obama today hailed the “rock solid” alliance between America and Britain and declared himself “chuffed to bits” to welcome David Cameron to the White House.
At an extraordinarily warm greeting ceremony for the Prime Minister, he trumpeted the special relationship as stronger than ever. “Through the great sweep of history, through all its twists and turns, there is one constant: the rock-solid alliance between the US and the UK,” he told a crowd of some 6,000 on the White House lawn.
“The reason is simple: We stand together, and we work together, we build together, we bleed together.”
He went out of his way to welcome Samantha Cameron, on her first official overseas trip in an £855 Roksanda Ilincic tri-tone crepe wool dress, L K Bennett shoes and Emilia Wickstead belt.
The President drew laughter by adopting a British phrase, telling the crowd: “David, we are chuffed to bits that you are here.” Mr Cameron responded by branding the Anglo-US alliance “the united states of liberty and enterprise” and the “most powerful force for progress” the world had seen.
He added: “When the chips are down, Britain and America know they can always count on each other.”
In moving words, Mr Cameron told how his grandfather was injured a few days after D-Day, recalling Mr Obama’s grandfather served under General Patton as the wartime allies swept across Europe. A 19-gun salute was fired to honour the arrival of the British leader, completing a remarkable series of warm gestures including a trip on Air Force One to a basketball game in Ohio, where the pair enjoyed hotdogs.
After the ceremony they went inside for talks. Mr Cameron said there was a “serious and important agenda to work through”. The leaders were discussing Iran’s nuclear programme, the Syrian uprising, and bringing home troops from Afghanistan in away that does not see the country plunge into civil war.
They were also set for talks on the global economy, including the sickly eurozone and free trade, and the extradition to the US of British citizens including Gary McKinnon and Chris Tappin.
Mr Cameron highlighted the “ceaseless back-and-forth between our two nations through ideas, friendships, business and shared endeavour”. He predicted a British PM would be at the same spot 50 years from now, standing “here as we do for freedom and enterprise — our two countries, the united states of liberty and enterprise.”
Paying tribute to the armed forces of both nations, he added: “Whether it is defeating the Nazis, standing up to the Soviets, defending the Korean Peninsula or hunting down al Qaeda in Afghanistan, there is no more tangible illustration of our two nations defending our values and advancing our interests than the mutual sacrifices made by our servicemen and women.”
Later, 300 guests were attending an official lunch, to be followed by a star-studded dinner tonight.
