Obama boasts star quality as Paltrow leads the expat club

It promises to be one of the most sought-after tickets in London this week: a sumptuous banquet for guests including Gwyneth Paltrow, Al Gore, River Cafe chef Ruth Rogers and Joshua Berger, president of Warner Brothers UK. The select few who are eligible to attend will have to pay $10,000 (£5,450) a head for lunch. The reason for all the excitement? Barack Obama.

The Democratic presidential candidate will not be at the dinner in Whitehall himself next Thursday. But since he won the nomination, the UK branch of Democrats Abroad has seen a stampede of cool, British-based Americans keen to support their man from afar. In coming weeks they will host one of the most glamorous lunches London society has seen; hold ticket-only screenings of US candidate debates at the prestigious Bafta members' cinema; and put on a comedy night at the Soho Theatre, while younger disciples can attend a slew of "speakeasy" drinking nights.

But while the Democrats make headlines and raise funds with a high celebrity and glamour factor, who are the Republicans using to woo the expatriate electorate? A former party chairman and secretary of veteran affairs.

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According to officials at the Republicans Abroad organisation, Jim Nicholson was the hottest name to grace the party's annual dinner last week. Who needs a Hollywood superstar when you have an Iowan with a moustache? When it comes to the UK, apparently, the Republicans have a dearth of high-profile supporters.

Louise Ann Ford, events chairman of Republicans Abroad UK, admits that the task of persuading celebrities to their events is a thankless one. "There are celebrities that are Republican, but it's not hip and cool to be Republican," she said. "It's the Democrats that get people from Hollywood. There are a lot of celebrities that end up being closet Republicans because they won't get work if they admit it."

Charlie Wolf, the organisation's communications director, went on the defensive about their lack of big names, saying: "We don't have political rock stars. We'll hear more on policies from Jim Nicholson than you'd get from Gwyneth Paltrow."

This may be sour grapes. With Paltrow appearing in commercials asking Americans to vote Obama from abroad, and gushing to Harper's Bazaar, "I just pray to God he wins", she represents a formidable PR force.

Unlike Democrats Abroad, the Republican group is not considered a state committee by its own party, making its attempts to have its presence felt in the UK even more of an uphill struggle. But in an election that looks likely to be so tight that foreign votes may well be counted, having, as Republicans Abroad said, "nothing else in particular planned", may be more than a little naive.

Back in the Democratic camp, things could not be more different. Even "bridge meetings" – which sound potentially dowdy – turn out to be offbeat photo-opportunities for adoring young Obama fans on London bridges.

In fact, being a Democrat has become so cool that Britons want to play too. "We get an incredible number of British people asking to be involved," said Bill Bernard, chairman of Democrats Abroad UK.

"But there's not much you can do if you're not an American citizen. The saddest letters I have to write are to people from the UK, because by law they can't give us anything, not even an admission fee to one of our events."

Election fever: Who's who in the Americans abroad line-up

US citizens living abroad can vote in the elections on 4 November. Will high-profile expats create enough buzz to get them voting by post?

Democrats: Hollywood royalty Gwyneth Paltrow knows how to emote, and her impassioned TV ad should have every eligible Dem in the UK reaching for the postal ballot paper.

Republicans: The London-based socialite Lynn Forester de Rothschild is a surprise Republican – she raised funds for Clinton, but thinks Obama is "elitist". This from the wife of noted toff Sir Evelyn.