Nigel Farage’s attempts to tout himself as the next UK ambassador to America has been brutally slapped down by a cabinet minister.
The Reform UK leader has offered to be a “bridge” between Britain and the US once Donald Trump takes office for a second time.
But on Question Time on Thursday night, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the arch-Brexiteer should focus on his day job of being the MP for Clacton.
An audience member said: “Now he’s a democratically-elected MP, would Mr Farage not be able to act as a bridge into that new [Trump] government?”
Reynolds replied: “Well he already has a job and he’s tried pretty hard to get into parliament, so he should probably do that for the people of Clacton.”
After presenter Fiona Bruce pointed out that Farage is “on friendly terms” with Trump, the minister said: “In diplomatic terms what I would say is what you want from any representative of the British government is someone who represents British interests to that country, rather than that country’s interests back to the UK.
“Look, the guy has got a job and he should stick to that for the term that he’s been elected for as a member of parliament.”
Prime minister Keir Starmer mocked Farage at PMQs on Wednesday over his regular trips to visit Trump in America.
“I’m glad to see the honourable member back here in Britain,” Starmer said.
While Farage waved at the House, Starmer continued: “He’s spent so much time in America recently, I’d half expected to see him on the immigration statistics.”
That triggered a wave of laughter across the House, including from Farage himself.