Nigel Farage has been branded a "pound shop Enoch Powell" after suggesting the outrage at Donald Trump's promotion of a far-right group was "ridiculous".

The former UKIP leader, who was the first British politician to meet the US President following his election last year, claimed the condemnation of Mr Trump was "out of all proportion".

In a diplomatic spat, Theresa May told Mr Trump he was "wrong" to share Twitter posts by the anti-Islam Britain First party, which also prompted an unprecedented expression of fury at a US President within the House of Commons.

But Mr Farage insisted Mr Trump "wouldn't have an earthly clue who Britain First were".

"Of course he doesn't [know what he's retweeting] of course he doesn't research everything," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.


"You're dealing with a very, very different president here."

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The MEP revealed he personally did not believe the tweets Mr Trump shared were "good taste", but claimed "the level of outrage from the liberal elite in this country is out of all proportion with what happened here".

"The idea that should lead to half the Labour Party saying he shouldn't be allowed to come to our country, frankly, is ridiculous," he added.

"And I think it's viewed by the public as being ridiculous."

Image: The ex-UKIP leader is a strong supporter of Donald Trump

Asked whether his closeness to Mr Trump and key aides of the US President meant he was too close to a "dark kind of politics", Mr Farage declared: "I believe I've done more than anybody in this country to stop the rise of the far-right in Britain.

"I did it by taking away those people who were going out and voting BNP and holding their nose.

"So when it comes to dealing with the far-right, I've a very good track record."

In response to Mr Farage's apparent defence of Mr Trump, Labour MP David Lammy compared the politician to former Tory minister Powell, who was sacked over his "racist" and now infamous "Rivers of Blood" speech.

Mr Lammy posted on Twitter: "Nothing but a pound shop Enoch Powell. We fought the National Front in the '80s and we'll do it again."

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Mr Farage was also criticised for using his BBC appearance to insist he will draw his EU pension, reported to be worth £73,000 per year, once he reaches the age of 63.

The leading Brexit campaigner said: "Of course I would take it, I've said that right from day one. Why should my family and others suffer even more?

"I said it from day one, it is not hypocrisy. I've just voted to get rid of my job, I was the turkey that voted for Christmas. How's that hypocrisy?

"If it was hypocrisy I would say we should stay in the EU."

The Liberal Democrat's Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake labelled Mr Farage a "shameless hypocrite".

"He rails against the so-called EU gravy train, but is happy to cash in when it suits him," he said.

"No doubt he also secretly backs the £50bn Brexit divorce bill that includes money to pay for his EU pension."