Gordon Brown invoked the words of Winston Churchill yesterday by reaffirming his belief in the “joint inheritance” that binds Britain and the United States.

As the Prime Minister prepared to stay at Camp David as the guest of President Bush, he tried to damp down speculation about emerging transatlantic tensions and to quash claims that he is considering withdrawing British troops from Iraq.

Downing Street insisted that policy on Iraq remained unaltered and Mr Brown emphasised his deep personal affection for America, describing himself as an “Atlanticist” and saying: “We should acknowledge the debt the world owes to the United States for its leadership in this fight against international terrorism.”

As he set off to Camp David in Maryland, where he was dining à deux with Mr Bush last night, he quoted Churchill’s speech describing the principles of freedom and the rights of man as “the joint inheritance of the English-speaking world”.

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The words will not be lost on Mr Bush, who has become a voracious reader of history and keeps a bust of Churchill — lent to him by Tony Blair six years ago — in the Oval Office at the White House.

Mr Brown said: “When, at my meeting with President Bush, I talk of a joint inheritance — not just of shared history but shared values founded on a shared destiny — I mean the idea that everyone is created equal, that there should be freedom of expression for all faiths, that arts and culture should celebrate diversity, that government should be open and accountable, that there should be opportunity for all — for all men and all women — and a belief in free trade.”

The reference to trade reflects Mr Brown’s determination to press for an agreement on international trade in negotiations this autumn. Aides say he has already had detailed discussions with other world leaders on this issue and a deal is “quite close”.

Other priorities for the British contingent in formal talks today, when officials joining the two leaders will include David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, and Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, will include the crisis in Darfur.

But Mr Brown’s spokesman dismissed suggestions yesterday that the Prime Minister would present the President with a plan to withdraw Britain’s remaining 5,500 troops from southern Iraq. Speculation had been fuelled by a report that Simon

McDonald, the Prime Minister’s foreign policy adviser, sounded out opinion about the effects of a British pull-out during a recent trip to Washington. This, according to The Sunday Times, left the impression he was “doing the groundwork” for a withdrawal.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said that troops would remain until the Iraqi Army was deemed capable of maintaining security. “Simon McDonald made very clear at the meeting that the British Government’s position had not changed,” he added. White House sources say that they have been assured that Mr Brown’s Government will not even begin to look at changes before General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, delivers his September progress report on Mr Bush’s policy of pouring more American troops into the battle zone.

However, that date has already assumed red-letter significance on Capitol Hill, where many Republicans are preparing to demand a new strategy. And Britain’s military chiefs have made clear that they should be ready to hand over control of Basra by the end of the year.

Mr Brown will leave Camp David later today for talks with Congressional leaders before going to New York, where he is expected to deliver a speech on international development at the United Nations tomorrow. He does not want to be seen as adopting Tony Blair’s seemingly uncritical support for Mr Bush or as damaging Britain’s relationship with America.

Washington has been irritated by what one official described as “mixed signals” coming from Mr Brown’s Government.

But Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House, suggested that the Administration had developed a fairly thick skin and understood the domestic political pressures facing Mr Brown. He said: “A lot of people around the world say a lot of things every day, but we know where the core relationships really stand.”

The aircraft allocated for use by the Queen and Prime Minister could double up as a refuelling tanker for fighters under plans being considered by Downing Street and the RAF, The Times has learnt. The RAF would release one of 14 new A330s fitted with enlarged wings and fuel pods that are attached only when it is on tanker duty. Other options include an A320 executive jet and a second, 20-seat aircraft for flights within Europe.

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