EU referendum: US President Barack Obama told Prime Minister David Cameron he supports the UK remaining in the EU
Prime Minister David Cameron may have faced criticism from all sides in the House of Commons today over his efforts to reform Britain's relationship with the European Union, but at least he has the backing of one high-profile politician: US President Barack Obama.
According to a White House statement last night, the Prime Minister updated Obama on his negotiations with EU leaders during a phone call yesterday. The White House said Obama "reaffirmed continued US support for a strong United Kingdom in a strong European Union".
Obama has previously indicated he wants the UK to remain in the EU, telling the BBC last summer that the UK's EU membership "gives us much greater confidence about the strength of the transatlantic union".
The US President is expected to visit the UK later this spring, and remain campaigners are hopeful that he will repeat the pro-EU message during the trip.
Obama and Cameron also discussed Syria and tomorrow's "Supporting Syria" conference in London. Obama will not attend the conference, which is being co-hosted by Cameron to drum up aid support for refugees.
US secretary of state John Kerry is expected to represent the US government at the event.