Murdoch party casts doubt on Clinton

Who is the Murdoch clan backing for American president - Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? It was assumed last year that Clinton was the favoured one when Rupert Murdoch and his son James both made donations to her coffers. But more recently the Murdoch-owned New York Post has been giving Clinton a hard time and now comes news that the media mogul's London-based daughter, Elisabeth Murdoch (pictured), is to host a starry fundraiser for Obama.

The event will take place at the Notting Hill home she shares with her husband, PR man Matthew Freud. Asked about the significance of the party, Freud said: "I don't think you can interpret the event as anything other than she is enthusiastic about Obama's campaign."

That did not put a halt to the excited chitchat in America. The New York Times declared that the London event offered "possible clues to Hillary Clinton's Murdoch status".

Elisabeth, who runs the production company Shine and was once declared the world's most powerful blonde by Tatler magazine, will be one of 12 'event chairs' for the glittery April 28 party. Others include the actress Gwyneth Paltrow, the River Cafe cook Ruthie Rogers and Cristina Stenbeck, a leading Swedish businesswoman and heiress.

A list of 20 'event hosts' includes Kay Saatchi, the pre-Nigella wife of art collector Charles Saatchi, Joanna Shields, vice-president of the social networking website Bebo, and Elizabeth Saltzman Walker, fashion director of Vanity Fair. Guests will be encouraged to give the Obama campaign the full $2,300 per head allowed under US election law.