| Gordon Brown was plunged into a new row with America last night after it was disclosed that Downing Street is secretly trying to recruit some of Barack Obama’s officials to join Labour’s election campaign team. Staff from No10 have approached Mr Obama’s US Democratic Party to discuss whether his polling and strategy chiefs could help Mr Brown defeat David Cameron. The move is certain to inflame tensions between Mr Brown and Republican Presidential contender John McCain after the Prime Minister praised Mr Obama in a magazine article last week. It is understood the approach to the Obama camp was made by former advertising executive David Muir, hired by Mr Brown earlier this year in an attempt to revive his political fortunes. The Mail on Sunday has been told that Mr Muir was responsible for approving the controversial article in which Mr Brown paid tribute to Mr Obama, without even referring to Mr McCain. Today’s disclosure that Mr Brown is hoping to sign up members of Mr Obama’s team after the American election in November could have serious consequences for Anglo-US relations if, as many pollsters are now predicting, Mr McCain wins. Mr Brown has had links with the Democrats for decades. The Prime Minister is a long-time admirer of failed Presidential challenger Hillary Clinton and it is not the first time he has turned to Democrat allies for help. Last year, he had dinner with three of the party’s most senior spin-doctors of recent times, Bob Shrum, Mark Penn and Stan Greenberg. He asked them how he could recover from his disastrous decision not to hold a snap autumn General Election. For several months Mr Shrum even had a desk in No10. However, trying to headhunt Democrat aides weeks before the most keenly contested US election for many years is far more sensitive. |
Bob Shrum? Now we know why PM Brown is in such trouble at home if he is listening to him.
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