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Nigel Farage will be in the USA on Sunday for an astonishing sixth time since he was elected as the MP for Clacton-on-Sea in Essex on 4 July.
The Reform UK leader, who has been dubbed “the MP for MAGA”, by some political opponents in Westminster will be giving one of the speeches at a major Republican fundraising dinner which will also be addressed by president-elect Donald Trump.
Organisers of the dinner though have delivered an extraordinary snub to Kemi Badenoch and the Tories.
The number of trips across the Atlantic by Mr Farage in less than six months as an MP have already led to questions about his commitment to his Clacton constituency even though he is believed to be angling for a visit there from the soon-to-be US president.
Recently, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer mocked Farage for “a rare appearance” adding: “He spent so much time in America recently, I was half expecting to see him on the immigration statistics.”
But in a surprising twist the organisers of the New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) dinner, which Farage is addressing, have made a deliberate decision not to formally invite Kemi Badenoch or representatives of the Tories dubbing the oldest political party in the world “losers” after their historic election defeat in July.
NYYRC executive secretary Vish Burra told The Independent: “The NYYRC Gala is a party for winners, not globalist losers. MAGA Republicans are not interested in working with parties in the death throes of their moral integrity and electoral viability.”
NYYRC president Gavin Wax added: “For a decade and a half the UK Tories governed their nation to the left of the Democrats. It ended in record migration, legal and illegal, as well as virtually bankrupting the country and transforming it into something weak, unreliable, and unrecognisable. Worse still their fecklessness led to this even greater disaster of a Labour administration. They’re a textbook case of how oot to govern, and the idea they would get anywhere close to any MAGA power centers is risible.”
The NYYRC was founded in 1911, is the oldest and largest Young Republican club in the entire United States with its annual dinner a major fundraising event.
The decision comes amid tensions within the Trump camp over whether to support Mr Farage and his Reform UK party or to stick with their longstanding alliance with the Tories when dealing with Britain.
The Independent revealed splits after there was criticism by some in the Trump team of J. D. Vance for meeting with Ms Badenoch at the weekend. It was the second meeting between the two who have regularly texted one another over the last 18 months.
Ms Badenoch was also endorsed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis and has been welcomed by Congress Speaker Mike Johnson among others. She also has strong relations with Texas governor Greg Abbott and senator Rick Scott, who are both influential figures.
But the row deepened when one stateside source who is an ally of Ms Badenoch suggested that “Farage is not that close to Trump” and described the Reform leader “as an eccentric British fanboy.”
It was later pointed out that Farage and Trump have each other’s mobile phone numbers and “regularly talk”.
But the row is part of a struggle on the right of British politics with Reform splitting the traditional Tory vote with some claiming they could replace the Conservatives. Mr Farage sees his relationship with Trump as essential for success in the UK.
It is understood though that while Trump and Farage have a close relationship the two are perceived as “sole traders” while the Republicans have a wider view.
According to one well placed insider it means that the Tories and Republican Party are renewing their relationship with Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Millar crucial for work through back channels even though he likes Farage.
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