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| Nigel Farage would be great UK ambassador to US, says Donald Trump | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| US president-elect Donald Trump has suggested that Nigel Farage, controversial leader of the United Kingdom Independence party, should be the UK’s ambassador to the US. | US president-elect Donald Trump has suggested that Nigel Farage, controversial leader of the United Kingdom Independence party, should be the UK’s ambassador to the US. |
| “Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States,” Trump tweeted on Monday evening. “He would do a great job!” | “Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States,” Trump tweeted on Monday evening. “He would do a great job!” |
| Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job! | Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job! |
| Farage, a member of the European parliament and on-again-off-again leader of Ukip for a decade, recently suggested he could launch an eighth bid to become an MP. Seven previous attempts were unsuccessful. | Farage, a member of the European parliament and on-again-off-again leader of Ukip for a decade, recently suggested he could launch an eighth bid to become an MP. Seven previous attempts were unsuccessful. |
| It is unprecedented for an incoming US president to ask a world leader to appoint an opposing party leader as ambassador, and the statement puts British prime minister Theresa May in a difficult position. | It is unprecedented for an incoming US president to ask a world leader to appoint an opposing party leader as ambassador, and the statement puts British prime minister Theresa May in a difficult position. |
| The role of UK ambassador to the US is among the most prestigious in the diplomatic service. Sir Kim Darroch, formerly the UK’s national security adviser and permanent representative to the European Union (EU), took over the role in January this year. | The role of UK ambassador to the US is among the most prestigious in the diplomatic service. Sir Kim Darroch, formerly the UK’s national security adviser and permanent representative to the European Union (EU), took over the role in January this year. |
| The Ukip leader has previously said it was “obvious” that Darroch should resign his post, calling him part of the “old regime”. | The Ukip leader has previously said it was “obvious” that Darroch should resign his post, calling him part of the “old regime”. |
| But he told Sky News at that time he did not see himself as Darroch’s replacement: “I don’t think I will be the ambassadorial type. Whatever talents or flaws I have got I don’t think diplomacy is at the top of my list of skills.” | But he told Sky News at that time he did not see himself as Darroch’s replacement: “I don’t think I will be the ambassadorial type. Whatever talents or flaws I have got I don’t think diplomacy is at the top of my list of skills.” |
| Raheem Kassam, editor-in-chief of Breitbart London and a former aide to Farage, tweeted that he had woken the Ukip leader to tell him the news: “Safe to say he was enormously flattered.” | |
| Farage has no diplomatic experience but worked hard to align himself with Trump during the course of the US election campaign. | Farage has no diplomatic experience but worked hard to align himself with Trump during the course of the US election campaign. |
| Trump took to comparing his campaign to that behind the successful call for the UK to leave the EU, often mentioning Farage at his rallies and referring to himself as “Mr Brexit”. | Trump took to comparing his campaign to that behind the successful call for the UK to leave the EU, often mentioning Farage at his rallies and referring to himself as “Mr Brexit”. |
| The two met again recently at Trump Tower in New York, and Farage tweeted a picture of the two of them, adding: “It was a great honour to spend time with [Trump]. He was relaxed and full of good ideas. I’m confident he will be a good president.” | The two met again recently at Trump Tower in New York, and Farage tweeted a picture of the two of them, adding: “It was a great honour to spend time with [Trump]. He was relaxed and full of good ideas. I’m confident he will be a good president.” |
| It was a great honour to spend time with @realDonaldTrump. He was relaxed and full of good ideas. I'm confident he will be a good President. pic.twitter.com/kx8cGRHYPQ | It was a great honour to spend time with @realDonaldTrump. He was relaxed and full of good ideas. I'm confident he will be a good President. pic.twitter.com/kx8cGRHYPQ |
| At the meeting, Farage spoke to the new president-elect about putting the bust of Winston Churchill back in the Oval Office, while Trump encouraged Farage to oppose wind farms, which he felt marred the views from his Scottish golf courses. | At the meeting, Farage spoke to the new president-elect about putting the bust of Winston Churchill back in the Oval Office, while Trump encouraged Farage to oppose wind farms, which he felt marred the views from his Scottish golf courses. |
| Andy Whigmore, a communications officer for one of the groups campaigning to leave the EU who was at the meeting alongside Farage, told the Daily Express: “We covered a lot of ground during the hour-long meeting we had. | Andy Whigmore, a communications officer for one of the groups campaigning to leave the EU who was at the meeting alongside Farage, told the Daily Express: “We covered a lot of ground during the hour-long meeting we had. |
| “But one thing Mr Trump kept returning to was the issue of wind farms. He is a complete Anglophile and also absolutely adores Scotland, which he thinks is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. | “But one thing Mr Trump kept returning to was the issue of wind farms. He is a complete Anglophile and also absolutely adores Scotland, which he thinks is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. |
| “But he is dismayed that his beloved Scotland has become over-run with ugly wind farms, which he believes are a blight on the stunning landscape.” | “But he is dismayed that his beloved Scotland has become over-run with ugly wind farms, which he believes are a blight on the stunning landscape.” |
| Farage is expecting an invitation to Trump’s inauguration in January, sources have told the Guardian, which increases pressure on May to give him a role in UK-US diplomatic relations. | Farage is expecting an invitation to Trump’s inauguration in January, sources have told the Guardian, which increases pressure on May to give him a role in UK-US diplomatic relations. |
| The British prime minister is already on the back foot after Farage claimed Trump’s team had raised concerns with him in their meeting about hostile comments made by Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, and May’s joint chiefs of staff about his campaign. | The British prime minister is already on the back foot after Farage claimed Trump’s team had raised concerns with him in their meeting about hostile comments made by Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, and May’s joint chiefs of staff about his campaign. |
| Farage was the first foreign politician to meet Trump after his shock win and offered to act as a go-between for the British government and the US – a suggestion knocked back swiftly by Downing Street, which insisted there was no need for a “third party” in the so-called special relationship. | Farage was the first foreign politician to meet Trump after his shock win and offered to act as a go-between for the British government and the US – a suggestion knocked back swiftly by Downing Street, which insisted there was no need for a “third party” in the so-called special relationship. |
| The Ukip leader reacted with fury, telling LBC radio that “ghastly little apparatchiks” were determined to exclude him. | The Ukip leader reacted with fury, telling LBC radio that “ghastly little apparatchiks” were determined to exclude him. |
| “It just goes to show they are not really interested in the country or the national interest, they are more concerned about petty party politics and trying to keep me out of everything,” he said. | “It just goes to show they are not really interested in the country or the national interest, they are more concerned about petty party politics and trying to keep me out of everything,” he said. |
| “If you think of America in terms of a business and think of them as a client we want to do business with, what would you do? You would use the person who has the connections. | “If you think of America in terms of a business and think of them as a client we want to do business with, what would you do? You would use the person who has the connections. |
| “Nobody in this administration in the UK has any connections with the Trump team at all, and yet they are prepared on behalf of the country to cut off their noses to spite their faces.” | “Nobody in this administration in the UK has any connections with the Trump team at all, and yet they are prepared on behalf of the country to cut off their noses to spite their faces.” |
| Downing Street said there was “no vacancy” and praised Darroch. A No 10 spokesman said: “There is no vacancy. We already have an excellent ambassador to the US.” |