No 10 ‘insisted Trump must not meet Farage’

THERESA MAY has been accused of trying to stop Donald Trump from meeting Nigel Farage on his visit to the UK next week.

A Whitehall source said a ban on a meeting with Mr Farage, the former Ukip leader, was a red line for No10 in the negotiations about the visit to the UK on Friday next week. The source said Downing Street had made it clear that the US president “must not meet Farage” in talks over the itinerary.

US officials were in London last week to try to nail down the plans for the trip which will see Mr Trump and his wife Melania meet with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. One option is for Mr Trump to extend his visit over the weekend so he can play golf at his courses in Scotland.

Mr Farage said he had been told the Government had made it clear that it did not want Mr Trump to meet with him during his visit “through the normal protocol channels”. He said: “I understand that through the normal protocol channels established between [the countries] ahead of a visit that they are very keen – almost paranoid I was told – that he doesn’t meet me.”

Mr Farage said: “I just despair of this Government – they don’t seem to understand that concept called the national interest.”

Mr Farage said he did not want to embarrass Mr Trump but he would meet if the president asked to see him.

A source at No10 played down the claims, saying said it was “not even aware of a meeting being requested” adding that “either way we are not trying to stop one”.

The US Embassy in London was approached for comment.

The Government has repeatedly refused to agree to a request by Mr Farage to be a “bridge” between the White House and Downing Street. In the weeks after Mr Trump’s election, Mr Farage met with him three times.

In November 2016, he was pictured in a gold-plated lift alongside the president-elect at his New York skyscraper. Mr Trump then shocked Westminster by sending a message on Twitter saying Mr Farage would do a “great job” as Britain’s ambassador to the US.