Priti Patel dismisses Nigel Farage as a ‘pop-up act’ as they both prepare to attend Trump’s inauguration alongside Boris Johnson and Liz Truss_Nhy
Priti Patel dismissed Nigel Farage as a ‘pop-up act’ today as they both prepare to attend Donald Trump‘s inauguration.
The shadow foreign secretary said the apparent closeness of the Reform leader to the incoming president was ‘irrelevant’.
She insisted the Tories shared ‘DNA on values and beliefs’ with the Republicans and the parties ‘ended the Cold War’ together.
The brutal-put down came on the eve of the ceremony marking the White House changeover in Washington – which will also be joined by ex-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Keir Starmer will not be present, with the government pointing out that is in keeping with long-standing convention.
However, there are mounting questions about how Labour will manage the crucial relationship with the new US administration.
Priti Patel dismissed Nigel Farage as a ‘pop-up act’ today as they both prepare to attend Donald Trump ‘s inauguration
The shadow foreign secretary said the apparent closeness of the Reform leader (pictured) to the incoming president was ‘irrelevant’
The brutal-put down came on the eve of the ceremony marking Mr Trump (pictured) returning to the White House
Asked about Mr Farage’s influence with Mr Trump, Ms Patel told Sky News it was ‘not a relevant question’.
‘They are our sister party. We have enduring long-standing ties with the Republican Party,’ she said, stressing the Reagan-Thatcher era.
On Reform, she said: ‘We’re not a pop-up act in the way in which they are and their presence is here right now.
‘Our two parties are knitted together in the very principles of conservatism and our DNA on values and beliefs is incredibly strong.’
Ms Patel said she worked closely with the last Trump government as Home Secretary and ‘those ties will continue’.
The comments came after Mr Farage described some members of Mr Trump’s incoming cabinet as ‘genuine friends on speed dial’ and reiterated his offer to help foster relations.
He told the Sun on Sunday that if he were able to help ‘behind the scenes’ he would ‘because it is in the national interest’.
The timing of any official US visit by Sir Keir will be compared to that of Theresa May, who arrived at the White House as Prime Minister just seven days after Mr Trump’s first inauguration.
Government sources insisted last night that ‘constructive’ discussions with the incoming administration were under way over when Sir Keir could visit Washington.
But there are worries that tensions could flare and derail the Special Relationship.
Mr Trump’s campaign filed a Federal Election Commission complaint against Labour in October, accusing it of ‘blatant foreign interference’ after the party’s head of operations, Sofia Patel, asked for people to travel to the US to campaign for Kamala Harris.
A Trump ally told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was election interference, plain and simple. Who the f*** do these people think they are?
‘Trump’s view is it’s none of their business what is going on here and they should have kept out.
Ms Truss has been posting messages from Washington DC on social media
‘How could their meddling possibly achieve anything? It didn’t. But it’s left a nasty taste in the mouth as far as President Trump and his team goes.
‘What a f***ing cheek these people have. And it didn’t do any good because Kamala was useless and clearly so were they.’
Despite the tensions, Sir Keir told the Financial Times he was building a ‘constructive’ relationship with Mr Trump, which he hoped would exempt the UK from threatened punitive trade tariffs and drown out the vitriolic attacks on him by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a member of Mr Trump’s team.
