Gordon Brown yesterday extolled Britain's "very special relationship" with America as he predicted the ties between the US and EU would deepen further as the divisions caused by the Iraq war diminished.

With the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI overshadowing the Prime Minister's three-day visit in the US media, Mr Brown took to the airwaves to try to raise his profile with the American public, which still holds Tony Blair in higher regard than the current incumbent at No 10.

"I'm very pro-American, and I've always been so," the PM told CBS News. "Ours is a very special relationship. I feel that America and Britain can achieve so much in the next few years."

He also insisted the US and EU would work more closely in the years ahead, pointing out: "It's partly because the divisions within Europe over Iraq will come to an end because we've got Chancellor Merkel, we've got President Sarkozy, we've got Prime Minister Berlusconi."

Having last week put in an unexpected appearance for charity on American Idol, the talent show, a beaming Mr Brown sought to cast aside his stiff demeanour, telling US viewers yesterday: "I love America and I love watching American TV."

As part of a bid to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, he announced that the British Council would develop a UK-US bid "to offer anyone in any part of the world help to learn English".

After breakfast with Ban Ki Moon, United Nations Secretary, over which Afghanistan and rising food prices were discussed, the Prime Minister had meetings with African leaders at the UN building, where he delivered a strong warning to Robert Mugabe over a "stolen" election in Zimbabwe.

Later, Mr Brown held talks with Michael Bloomberg, the New York mayor, and discussed ways of tackling the impact of the credit crunch with investment bankers on Wall Street.

Today, he will be in Washington for talks and dinner with George W Bush - possibly his last on American soil - as well as meetings, all said to be of equal length, 45 minutes, with the three presidential hopefuls: John McCain; Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Tomorrow, he is due to meet Ben Bernanke, head of the Federal Reserve, before travelling to Boston to deliver a keynote address on foreign policy at the Kennedy Library.

While Mr Brown might have hoped to put on hold, however briefly, his domestic strife, last night it dogged him as opposition parties swiftly seized on comments by Alistair Darling.

While on a trade visit to China, the Chancellor insisted Britain would get through the current financial crisis but admitted: "We have also got to make sure that in other areas we sharpen ourselves up, that we have a clear message of what we are about.'' George Osborne, his Conservative Shadow, described the comments as "an unprecedented attack on the Prime Minister by his most senior cabinet colleague".

He added: "What started as anonymous briefings from back benchers has now burst into the open with a public attack on Gordon Brown from the second most important person in the government. If the government is fighting itself, how can it fight for Britain?"

Vince Cable for the Liberal Democrats argued many people would be "staggered" to hear that six months into a crisis, the Chancellor was admitting there was a problem.

"Where on earth has the Chancellor been?" asked the London MP, adding: "Yet even after the Northern Rock disaster and bungled tax reforms with mounting personal debt and a falling housing market, the only thing the Chancellor feels is wrong is the need for improved communications. This isn't an economic strategy, this is a sketch from Yes, Minister."

Stewart Hosie, the SNP's Treasury Spokesman, said Mr Darling's words would embarrass Mr Brown, adding: "I suspect the only thing being sharpened by the Prime Minister will be his knives."

However, Gerald Kaufman, a senior Labour back bencher, insisted Mr Darling's words were "basic common sense" and chided Mr Osborne, saying: "He really needs to grow up and stop behaving like such an excitable schoolboy."