Thursday, April 10, 2025
Courting Trump - the quest for relevance
Nevertheless, here he is in the Independent, claiming that his friendship with Donald Trump could help the UK in their tariff negotiations with the US.
The paper says that the Reform UK leader, who has long supported the US president, has previously said he thought the tariffs were “a bit excessive”. And speaking to BBC Breakfast yesterday, Farage hailed his relationship “Not just with President Trump, but half of the cabinet.”
This is desperation at work on Farage's part, an attempt to find some relevance in UK politics.
That is apparent in this article on Nation Cymru, which suggests that opponents of Reform UK believe the party’s Achilles’ heel is its leader Nigel Farage’s close association with Donald Trump:
In the wake of Trump’s announcement of hefty tariffs on goods exported to the United States, many of those with a low opinion of Farage took to social media to draw attention to the links between the two men.
One post on X said: “Less than a month ago, Farage went off to the US to fundraise for Trump. A big reminder that Farage and Reform would ruin the UK economy in the same way as Farage’s best buddy.”
On March 20 the Guardian reported: “Nigel Farage is once again in America helping to fundraise for Donald Trump’s Republican Party, with the latest data showing he has spent more than 800 hours on outside employment since being elected.
“The Reform UK leader is appearing on Thursday night to give a keynote speech at a fundraiser for Florida Republicans’ ‘Disruptors’ dinner, with tables for top-tier ‘Trump sponsors’ costing $25,000 (£19,000).
“Before his appearance, he was absent from Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, and he did not appear in the Commons on Thursday.
“Farage has made at least nine trips abroad, including eight to the US, since he was elected MP for Clacton in Essex last July, with many of them either funded by donors or undertaken for paid employment such as speeches.
“In a statement issued by the US organisers, Farage said: ‘I’m so incredibly excited to be joining the Republican Party of Florida for the Disruptors Dinner.’
“President Trump’s decisive win and return to the White House inspires us all to continue the fight for freedom globally. I’m looking forward to being back in the Free State of Florida to celebrate with all of you.”
In the light of Trump's assault on the world economy, maybe a period of silence on the Reform leader's part is called for.
