Nigel Farage attacks Theresa May’s team for ‘banning him’ from meeting Donald Trump

The Brexit Party leader has described the situation as "absolutely ludicrous"

Nigel Farage has accused Downing Street of banning him from meeting Donald Trump during his state visit to the UK next week. The Brexit Party leader claims that Number 10 told the US president's team not to meet him when Trump makes his state visit from Monday to Wednesday next week. A friend of Farage's in the US was apparently made aware of Trump's entourage being told: "Don't meet this guy," regarding the former UKIP leader. "It's absolutely ludicrous," Farage said. "I know they're worried about their Conservative Party but given that I've got good connections to him and many of the team around him and that they're our biggest military ally, intelligence ally, and very important investor in each other's countries - why would you want to prevent a meeting between someone who knows the president well? "It's just extraordinary, it's small-minded, petty and it's not putting the interests of the country first." A Downing Street spokesperson said: "Who the President meets during his visit is, of course, a matter for him." It comes after Trump endorsed Boris Johnson's bid to become the next leader of the Conservative party during an interview with The Sun ahead of the visit, saying that he is a "very good guy" and would make an "excellent" prime minister. He told The Sun: "I actually have studied it very hard. I know the different players. But I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent. I like him. I have always liked him."