The UKIP leader is a sexist bigot and apologist for the Kremlin. Sound familiar?
Nigel Farage would make a great British ambassador to the US, according to Donald Trump, who will make a terrible President of the United States.
Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016
As Downing Street helpfully points out, the position is already filled, though they should have added it’s not Trump’s job to appoint foreign diplomats.
But putting aside the fact it won’t happen, here are some reasons why Farage is not remotely suitable for any such post:
1. He blames the EU for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last I checked, this isn’t government policy. It’s also garbage.
2. He admires Vladimir Putin.
This might recommend him to Donald Trump, but Britain has called for Russia to be investigated for war crimes in Syria, backed EU sanctions on Putin’s dictatorship, heard in open court how he allegedly had a British spy murdered in London… the list goes on.
3. He said Britain was beset by a ‘Romanian crime wave’.
Not very diplomatic. He also doesn’t want Romanian neighbours, and when asked why replied: ‘you know why’. Er, because you’re a bigot?
4. He says defends sexism by employers.
Defending former UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom, Farage said:
“Godfrey’s comment that ‘no employer with a brain in the right place would employ a young, single, free woman’ has been proved so right. With this lunacy, that if you have children you get three months paid leave off work, or six months paid leave off work – he absolutely got it spot on.”
He also said women are ‘worth less’ to employers, and denied there is ‘any discrimination against women at all’ at various City firms, where he worked before entering politics.
Farage’s party has always been terrible for women. Not a brilliant record for a diplomat, at least on a planet where more than half the population is female.
5. He’s a bit corrupt.
When accused of fiddling his EU expenses a few years back, Farage took the ‘they all do it, blame the system’ line to defend his behaviour.
His party has taken money from Tory press baron Richard Desmond and right-wing financier Arron Banks. What favours might a diplomat do for such delightful backers?
Oh, and his party is being investigated for misuse of funds during the EU referendum.
6. He said Africans were bringing HIV to Britain.
Need I go on?
For these reasons and many others, whether in a formal or off-the-books capacity, Nigel Farage should be allowed nowhere near British diplomacy.
Just because the US president elect is a sexist bigot and apologist for the Kremlin, doesn’t mean Britain should toe the line.
Adam Barnett is staff writer for Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBarnett13
See: Donald Trump is no working class hero – don’t parrot his propaganda
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6 Responses to “Six reasons Nigel Farage should not be US ambassador – sorry Donald”
David Lindsay
The rulers of the old America and their supporters revered Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. They were sincerely baffled at the reactions to Thatcher’s and Yeltsin’s deaths in Britain and Russia respectively. But they have seen nothing yet.
Meanwhile, it says a very great deal that, whereas the new America’s favourite Russian politician is no less than Vladimir Putin, the new America’s favourite British politician is no more than Nigel Farage. That Donald Trump really is going to conduct all dealings with this country through Farage means that UKIP is as dead organisationally as it is ideologically. There is not much United Kingdom Independence in the view that a foreign power ought to appoint the British Ambassador to it. And there is no UKIP without Farage.
Farage has devoted the whole of his latest attempt at leading UKIP to promoting his new career in the United States. Other than for memorial services, and then only if he were asked to speak, he is no more coming back than James Corden is. After all, do they have golden lifts in Thanet? Although Corden, like Peter Sellers or Dudley Moore before him, remains at least remembered in Britain. Whereas Farage is already well on the way to becoming Craig Ferguson or Robin Leach.
GodfreyR
Of couse, he shouldn’t. And he knows that and Trump knows that.
But it’s great fun watching the metropolitan establishment wets have kittens at the thought of it !!!!
Well done Nige !
Steve Mizzy
I dont for one moment think Trump was being serious.
But its done the job. Diverting attention away from things that are going on around Trump and his supporters.
GodfreyR
Yep. They’re just taking the piss and enjoying the moment !!!
Jimmy Glesga
Of course our sensible politicians do not take the piss. Perhaps the people voted for brexit because the sensible politicians have had their day and the people twigged.