Nigel Farage: UK needs to ‘roll out red carpet’ for Trump to mend relations

Farage turned up at the Trump rally in the swing state of Pennsylvania on Monday, where both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris converged in a final push before election day
Nigel Farage has said the UK needs to “start rolling out the red carpet” for Donald Trump in order to “mend” relations between the UK and the US.
“This relationship can be mended and it must be mended,” he told ITV News’ Mary Nightingale.
Farage travelled to the state of Florida to watch his friend Trump sweep to victory and become the 47th president of the United States.
The Reform UK leader added that he thinks he could be a useful link between the United States and the UK.
“There are ways in which I think I can help smooth the relationship between Trump, the people he’s going to appoint into senior roles in the administration, most of whom I also know… If I can be helpful as a bridge between the two, I would do it.
“And it’s not because I agree with anything the Labour government stands for, I’d do it because it’s in our national interest,” he added.
Farage described Trump as “an extraordinary human being”, adding that he was “cool as a cucumber” as results were announced last night.
“There was a lot to celebrate, it is the most extraordinary political comeback. Not just in American history – I can’t think of any parallel,” he added.
Farage has been supporting Trump for a number of years, after the pair first became friendly ahead of his election as the 45th president in 2016.
Farage also commented on whether the Trump victory would affect how much time he would spend with his constituents in Clacton.
“I made a decision a few months ago that I would stand for the Westminster government… I will represent that constituency and do that job for it.”
Trump and Farage shared evidence of their friendship on X in 2016, in a picture of the pair in front of the golden door of Trump’s apartment in Trump Tower
Farage turned up at the Trump rally in the swing state of Pennsylvania on Monday, where both the now-president-elect and Kamala Harris converged in a final push before election day.
He said he had felt that Trump would win the election for “some weeks” in the run-up to the result.
“He was putting together a remarkable coalition – Hispanic voters, people who’d come legally to America…
“The black vote… [Trump] has secured more black votes than any Republican has ever managed before. And, very interestingly, the young vote – especially young men who are looking for a strong role model and a strong leader.”
Farage has been in the US on multiple occasions, including a visit in July for which he declared £32,836 from a private donor for flights and accommodation.
In the register of MP interests, he said the purpose of the trip was “to support a friend who was almost killed and to represent Clacton on the world stage”.
In fact the Reform UK leader and Trump are so close that the leader of the Republican Party “promised” to visit the Essex seaside town, according to a former party candidate who spoke to ITV News Political Correspondent Harry Horton.
Trump even reportedly brought it up again during a video message played at Farage’s 60th birthday party in April. At the time Farage hadn’t decided whether he would stand in the upcoming UK general election.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
Want an expert briefing on US politics and the presidential race? Listen to our latest podcast Talking Politics USA