Trump wants Farage as envoy

UK rejects surprise tweet over Ukip leader

NIGEL Farage has hit out at the “cesspit” of politics as Downing Street rejected Donald Trump’s call for the interim UK Independence Party (Ukip) leader to become Britain’s next ambassador to the United States.

In a surprising tweet, which has raised eyebrows in the UK, Trump made the recommendation to his almost 16 million followers on Monday night.

“Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!” Trump tweeted.

In response, Farage said: “I’m very flattered by the comments and I have said since I met the president-elect that I would like to do anything I can to act in a positive way to help relationships between our two countries.”

However, the news was greeted with a quick riposte from Downing Street, which insisted Britain would decide who served as its ambassador to the US.

A spokesman said: “You have an ambassador who only took up his post earlier this year.

“We have chosen our ambassador and there is no vacancy.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman reiterated the government’s position that there should be no third party in the relationship with the US.

Brexit secretary David Davis said: “We are believers in free speech in Britain, but we’ve got a very good ambassador – Kim Darroch – and he’s going to be there for some years.”

In an article for the right-wing blog Breitbart, Farage wrote: “Like a bolt from the blue Trump tweeted out that I would do a great job as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.

“I can still scarcely believe that he did that, though speaking to a couple of his long-time friends perhaps I am a little less surprised.

“They all say the same thing – that Trump is a loyal man and supports those that stand by him.

“It is called trust and it is how the world of business operates.

“Sadly, the cesspit that is career politics understands nothing of this. In their world the concept of trust is transitory.

“The political revolution of 2016 now sees a new order in charge of Washington. In the United Kingdom the people have spoken but the players at the top have, I am afraid, stayed the same.

“Those who supported Remain now hold senior positions. Worst still, those who were openly abusive about Trump now pretend to be his friend.

“It is career politics at its worst and it is now getting in the way of the national interest.

“At every stage I am greeted by negative comments coming out of Downing Street.

“The dislike of me, Ukip, and the referendum result is more important to them than what could be good for our country,” Farage wrote.