PM's attempts to snub Bush 'backfired after speech'

Gordon Brown intended to snub President George Bush until at least September, before subtle attempts to distance himself from Washington backfired a fortnight ago, a senior diplomatic source said last night.

According to the source, no plan had been made for the Prime Minister to visit Washington before Lord Malloch Brown, the former UN deputy secretary general and new foreign minister, gave an interview in which he said Mr Brown and Mr Bush would no longer be "joined together at the hip like the Blair-Bush relationship". Four days later Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary, gave his speech in Washington hailing the virtues of "soft power". The PM discussed the speech with Mr Alexander in No 10 the day before it was delivered, The Independent has learned.

"The PM knows Bush is a lame duck. One option was to delay the trip until September," the source told The Independent . "But after the Alexander speech Washington needed reassurance."

Mr Brown will now visit Washington on Sunday night before the PM goes to New York the following day.