Obama repeatedly snubs Brown's request for talks

It has been alleged that White House officials rejected repeated requests from Britain for a private meeting between US president Barack Obama and Gordon Brown.

Reports on Wednesday night claimed staff for Mr Obama turned down no fewer than five requests from Downing Street for a bilateral meeting at the United Nations yesterday or at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh later today.

Mr Brown is said to have been keen for private discussions with the US president, in the same way he hosted the leaders of Japan, China and Russia.

Instead it appeared Mr Obama was more interested in meetings with the leaders of the larger nations and those in the Middle East.

A spokesman for the White House moved to dismiss any suggestions of a 'snub' by Mr Obama claiming the relationship between the US and Britain remained as strong as always.

'Any stories that suggest trouble in the bilateral relationship between the United States and UK are totally absurd,' he said.

'We would add that President Obama and prime minister Brown enjoy a terrific relationship, they speak regularly on a range of the most difficult challenges facing our two nations and meet frequently.'

The allegations come after Mr Obama criticised the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi by the Scottish government.

The allegations of five spurned approaches compounded a fairly wretched day for the British prime minster, with former home secretary Charles Clarke calling on him to step down and the resignation of Labour MP Stephen Hesford.

In a letter to the prime minister, Mr Hesford said he was stepping down over the refusal of attorney general Baroness Scotland to resign after she was found guilty of employing an illegal immigrant.