Nigel Farage insists Donald Trump is not ‘pulling the strings’ on general election

Nigel Farage answers questions on BBC Breakfast. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant

Nigel Farage has hit back at allegations from Labour that US president Donald Trump is pulling the strings in the UK general election.

The Brexit Party leader was appearing on BBC Breakfast when he was asked if Donald Trump had told him to work with Boris Johnson, as the president had previously suggested in his radio show interest.

Initially laughing, he outright denied this was the case, telling presenter Dan Walker: “This is full of wild conspiracy theories and is not true.”

Pressed further he said that he had not spoken to him about it.

“I’ve not spoken to Donald Trump since that interview,” the Brexiteer said.

Asked what his response was to the allegation that Donald Trump was pulling the strings, he said it was “just to laugh”.

Asked a third time by Walker, Farage snapped: “How many times do I have to tell you? I haven’t spoken to him since he was on LBC only a few weeks ago, and he has had no influence over my decision at all. My decision was made – 1. To stop us having a second referendum, to prevent the Liberal Democrats winning seats in the South and South West. And 2. Because Boris Johnson has indicated we are now going for a free trade deal not political linkage”.

Asked about his claims of a peerage, despite Number 10 denying that it was the case.

Farage, however, insisted that it’s “happened many times” before adding “I’m not for sale”.

“Over the years I’ve been offered safe Conservative seats, I’ve been offered peerages, I’ve been offered all sorts of inducements.”

Asked who was offering him the inducements, he said: “People very close to Number 10.”

He continued: “I have ever since 2005 when it first happened rejected this at every opportunity. I am not in politics for rank, title or position. I got into politics from business because I want to be a free independent country.”

He added if he had not set up the Brexit Party that “Theresa May would still be prime minister and Brexit would still be a long way away”.