Reform UK Nigel Farage has claimed incoming US president Donald Trump would ‘love’ him to become the UK ambassador to the United States in a cringe interview on TV
Victoria Derbyshire asks Nigel Farage about US ambassador role
Nigel Farage has claimed Donald Trump would “love” him to become the UK ambassador to the United States in a cringe interview on TV.
The squirming Reform UK leader, who is pals with the incoming US president, insisted “no, no, no” he was not going to become ambassador when asked if he was “desperately wanting” the role. But he failed to bat away claims that he wants the job. It comes after he repeatedly boasted about his closeness with Mr Trump and his incoming Cabinet and told Keir Starmer he could act as a “bridge” between Labour and the Republicans – an offer the Prime Minister has rejected.
In a TV interview on Wednesday night, Mr Farage mounted criticism on the government over its agreement to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to the Mauritian government. It comes amid concerns from the incoming Trump administration about the future of the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago.
Mr Farage said the UK’s military alliance with the UK is “vital”, telling BBC Newsnight: “Let’s be frank, we get more out of it than they do. It’s a very, very good deal for us. Us being there, as the number 2 in Nato – only just, given the shrinking size of our military – they give us more than we get from them. What we do not do, what we should not do is threaten their most important military base in the world.”
Asked by presenter Victoria Derbyshire whether his comments related to him “wanting desperately to be the UK ambassador in Washington”, he said: “Well it’s not going to happen, is it?” Pressed again, Mr Farage added: “No, no, no I am not going to be the ambassador even though Trump would love it. It isn’t going to happen. That is the gift of the incoming Labour government. I just hope they think outside the box and choose somebody that can get into that Oval Office and have a straight conversation with Trump and those around him.
“What I want to do and – I have actually been in touch with Labour and I have said, totally sincerely, if I can be useful given that not just Trump is a friend but that half the incoming cabinet are friends that I’ve known for many years, if I can be a bridge in any way at all to do things that act in the national interest, even though I don’t support anything the Labour government stand for, I would do that”
The UK government is scrambling to save its deal to cede control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after criticism from the incoming Trump administration and the new Mauritian prime minister. Mr Trump’s pick for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, warned in October that the agreement posed “a serious threat” to US national security by handing over the islands to a country allied with China.
Responding to the criticisms on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs: “This is incredibly sad. I know and I’m sad that there’s been so much politicking about this. This process begun under the last (UK) government and there were ministers who understand entirely why this is so important for our national security and global national security.
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“The agencies in the United States think this is a good deal. The State Department in the United States thinks this is a good deal and most important of all, the Pentagon and the White House think this is a good deal. And that’s not just the principal politicians in those in those areas, it is the system.”
The Cabinet minister said the agreement was a “very good deal” for “our national security” because it secured the legal basis of the Diego Garcia military base. He added: “I’m really reassured about that, and I think an incoming (US) administration will be reassured about that, and I’m confident that the Mauritians are still sure about that, despite politicking that we all know goes on.”
Under the terms of the deal, the UK-US military presence on Diego Garcia is expected to run for 99 years with an option to renew, with Britain paying a regular annual sum of money. The Government has insisted it had to strike a deal to protect the ongoing operation of the base after an International Court of Justice ruling that the UK’s administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory was “unlawful” and must end.
The current UK ambassador to the US is Dame Karen Pierce, who has reportedly been asked to stay in post during the transition to the Trump administration. Rumours have been swirling that Peter Mandelson, David Miliband or Valerie Amos could be next in line to take the post.
