Gwyneth Paltrow is co-hosting a London dinner priced at £9,200 per head to raise funds for Barack Obama’s campaign to stay in the White House.
Mr Obama’s top strategist David Plouffe was due to attend as guest of honour — a sign of how important London-based money has become in the battle for the presidency.
American Vogue editor Anna Wintour and fashion designer-turned-film director Tom Ford are hosting the event with the actress next Wednesday at Mark’s private dining club in Mayfair.
Mr Plouffe will also field questions at a policy discussion, with tickets costing £3,000.
After winning four years ago, Mr Obama credited Mr Plouffe in his acceptance speech as “the unsung hero, who built the ... best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.”
A Democrat campaigner said: “The significant thing this time round is we’re seeing more serious surrogates from both sides coming to London, looking for dollars, dollars, dollars.”
Republican challenger Mitt Romney aimed to raise more than £1 million during a visit to London in July. But the price of tickets to a fundraiser in a private house in Mayfair was slashed by more than half to £6,200 for lastminute buyers, suggesting his visit, marred by a gaffe when he appeared to question preparations for the Olympics, was not as successful as hoped.
Britain is home to 250,000 Americans, mainly in London. The city’s importance was only fully recognised in 2008, when Mr Obama enjoyed one of his most successful one-night fundraisers.
Eight years ago River Café founder Ruthie Rogers planned a glamorous fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, only for campaign HQ to scrap it at a late stage.
Mr Obama’s campaign raised more than £70.4 million last month, compared with £68.5 million raised by the Romney camp, according to official returns.
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It was the first time in four months that Democrats raised more than Republicans. A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed the President edging ahead of his rival by five points in both Florida and Virginia, two swing states crucial to his chances.
He already has a lead of seven points in Ohio, another state both candidates see as a “must- win”.
Political experts say the November election will come down to these three plus Colorado, Iowa and Nevada.
