Trump wants Nigel Farage to be US ambassador

Donald Trump has suggested that interim UKIP leader Nigel Farage should be made Britain's US ambassador.

In a tweet sent in the early hours of Tuesday morning UK time, the President-elect said:

"Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!"

 

The Telegraph reports that Downing Street responded to the statement by saying: "There is no vacancy. We have an excellent ambassador to the US."

Sir Kim Darroch is the current British ambassador to the US and was appointed in January.

Farage told the Press Association on Tuesday: "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."

Nigel Farage, an ardent anti-EU politician who many would argue pushed Britain to Brexit, supported Trump on the campaign trail and defended the Republican's sexist comments as "alpha male boasting." Trump likened his presidential bid to Farage's Brexit campaign.

Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after his shock US election victory, holding a "very productive" meeting at Trump Towers, according to an aide to the President-elect.

Shortly after Trump's victory there were suggestions that Farage would act as a "go between" for Theresa May and Trump, but the Prime Minister has strongly denied these suggestions. Some cabinet members reportedly feel this is a mistake, given Farage's closeness to the President-elect. Arron Banks, UKIP's millionaire donor, told the Telegraph that Steve Bannon, Trump's newly-appointed chief strategist, will "run ideas" past Farage before consulting the prime minister.