Sunak to lobby Biden to make Wallace next head of NATO

Wallace would be the first Brit as NATO Secretary General in two decades, with Mr Sunak promoting his pitch at the White House.

The PM’s visit to Washington DC will also see discussion on regulating Artificial Intelligence and drumming up inward investment to the UK, The Sun reports.

But talks on a US trade deal before next year’s General Election have been shelved.

The PM could also be honoured by throwing the opening baseball pitch at a Washington Nationals game on June 7 evening.

The match will reflect the “UK-US friendship” with both national anthems played by the Royal Marine Corps of Drums and their US counterparts.

There are also plans for a joint flypast over the ball game.

No10 sources insist the cricket-mad PM has yet to practice his throw for the big pressure moment broadcast to millions of Americans.

Traditionally, the post of NATO secretary general is held by a politician from a European country, but his candidacy is tacitly subject to approval by the White House.

The term of the current head of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, expires at the end of September. It has already been extended once, and it is possible that this could happen again.

Other candidates for the post include Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.