Nigel Farage denies reports he is moving to America
This follows reports the Ukip leader was planning his very own Brexit and emigrating to the US were he would be 'freer' from public attention
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Nigel Farage is said to have dismissed reports he was planning to emigrate to the US alongside his wife as “utter nonsense”.
It was reported the interim UKIP leader, who will stand down on Monday, informed friends he was preparing to emigrate to the US from his Kent home with his German wife Kirsten.
According to a report in The Times, friends claimed he was worried about life in Britain and had refrained from appearing in public with his family since Anti-Ukip protesters forced him to flee his local pub where he was eating with his family over a year and a half ago.
They also said the Ukip MEP, who proudly announced Britain had gained its “country back” after the Brexit result, would feel “freer” in America where he is less well-known.
Nevertheless, Norman Smith, the assistant political editor of BBC News, said Mr Farage has denied these reports. “UKIP’s Nigel Farage dismisses as “utter nonsense” reports he is to emigrate to US,” Smith tweeted today.
The news follows reports Mr Farage, who was the first British politician to meet Donald Trump, is planning another trip to meet the President-elect’s transition team in early December. Sources close to him say he is planning to travel to the US alongside the same team who met with Mr Trump ten days ago.
On his US trip, Mr Farage was accompanied by millionaire Ukip donor Arron Banks, his former chief aid Raheem Kassam, Leave.EU communications director Andy Wigmore, and leave.EU campaigner Gerry Gunster. The group christened themselves “The Brex Pistols”, posing for a photo with Mr Trump in a gold lift in his Trump Tower penthouse.
While Mr Farage was the first foreign politician to meet the billionaire businessman in person, Ms May has only had one official phone call with him so far. What’s more, she is thought to have been the ninth leader Mr Trump called after his shock victory. While controversial columnist Piers Morgan claimed he spoke to Mr Trump for 15 minutes, the Prime Minister is thought to have spoken to him for just 10 minutes.
Mr Trump also threw diplomatic protocol into array when he said he thought Mr Farage would make a “great” US ambassador. “Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!” he tweeted.
The Government dismissed the suggestion Mr Farage should take on one of the most high-profile roles in British diplomacy. A Downing Street spokesman said: “There is no vacancy. We have an excellent ambassador to the US.”
There has been no public confirmation of Mr Farage’s plan to travel to the US and a spokesperson for Ukip did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment. A representative for Mr Farage did not respond to request for comment on reports he was moving to the US.
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