George Osborne backs Hillary Clinton for US President

Appearing on ITV's Peston on Sunday, the Chancellor quipped: “We look forward to working with whoever the next US President is, whoever she may be."

His remarks are the first formal endorsement of Mrs Clinton's White House bid by a senior government figure.

Mrs Clinton is widely expected to be the Democrat candidate for the White House, setting up a hotly-anticipated contest against controversial Republican billionaire Donald Trump.

David Cameron this week refused to apologise for branding the maverick real estate mogul “divisive, stupid and wrong” over his call last year for Muslims to be banned from entering the US.

But the Prime Minister also said Mr Trump “deserves our respect” for winning the Republican nomination.

His remarks, during a press conference in Number 10, demonstrated a marked softening in the Downing Street approach to Mr Trump, who is expected to visit the UK during the presidential election campaign.

“I have to say that knowing the gruelling nature of the primaries and what you have to go through, anyone who makes it through that extraordinary contest to lead their party into a general election deserves our respect,” Mr Cameron said.

"What I said about Muslims, I won't change that view. I'm very clear that the policy idea that was put forward was wrong, is wrong and will remain wrong."

As of today, Ms Clinton has 2,228 of the 2,383 delegates required to secure the Democrat nomination. Her opponent Bernie Sanders trails on 1,415.

Last month she urged the UK to vote to remain in the European Union, while Mr Trump this week said Brits should back Brexit.