By Jessica Frank-Keyes
Former US president Barack Obama has met with Rishi Sunak in a “courtesy visit” to Downing Street.
Obama spent around an hour inside the No10 study with the Prime Minister on Monday afternoon.
The visit was understood to be mostly one on one, over cups of tea, with discussion on a range of topics including artificial intelligence (AI).
He said “I’m tempted!” when asked about his opinion on the state of Russian democracy by the media as he left with the US ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, just after 4pm.
It comes as Sunak faces intense speculation about a plot to replace him as Prime Minister before the general election.
No10 said Mr Obama visited to discuss the work of his foundation with Sunak.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “He was making an informal courtesy drop-in as part of his trip to London, where he is conducting work of the Obama Foundation.”
The spokesman added: “I think President Obama’s team made contact and obviously the Prime Minister was very happy to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation.”
Obama served two terms in the White House from 2009 to 2017 before he was succeeded by Republican Donald Trump.
The 62-year-old previously visited Downing Street and then-prime minister David Cameron in April 2016.
