Farage: Number 10 should let me help build Trump relations

Nigel Farage with President-elect Donald Trump in New York

  • ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy reports

Nigel Farage has told ITV News that Number 10 should "bury any petty enmities" towards him and allow him to help build the UK's relationship with Donald Trump.

UKIP's interim leader warned there are bridges that need to be built between the UK and Trump, saying: "let's be honest, there are plenty of people in Trump's team who are less than impressed at many of the things that have been said by senior government figures and senior staffers in Number 10 [during the election campaign].

Mr Farage, speaking after becoming the first British politician to meet the US president-elect in New York, said he would be happy to help relations.

"Number 10 seem to take a rather disdainful view of me. If I could help in any way to get that relationship moving I would be very happy to do it."

However he added that he feels Downing Street are opposed to allowing him to help and they seem to release "rather nasty statements" about him saying he is "irrelevant".

Mr Farage said despite that, it is in the national interest that Number 10 should allow him to help.

"If that is their view, there's not much I can do", he said. "But I would have thought in the national interest, people should bury any petty enmities and let's get on with it."