Nigel Farage: I’m not going into the jungle, I’m going to work for Trump in the White House Ukip’s interim leader Nigel Farage has quashed rumours that he is heading into the jungle for ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…, saying […]

Ukip’s interim leader Nigel Farage has quashed rumours that he is heading into the jungle for ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…, saying he will instead take up a job in Donald Trump’s government.

Mr Farage, who has resigned as leader of Ukip three times, only to return most recently after Diane James quit after just 19 days, made the jokey announcement about his new role working with the US presidential hopeful at the Spectator Awards last night.

“George if I’d known that you were going to present me with an award I would not have called you a pasty-faced bastard,” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Nigel Farage

“Rumours that I’m off the jungle in I’m A Celebrity next week are entirely untrue. No, I’m booked on the first flight out next Wednesday morning to Washington where I will be joining Donald Trump’s team in the White House,” he said.

His comment was met with boos from the audience, to which Mr Farage replied: “Oh come on, cheer up! He’s going to be the next leader of the Western World, what’s the matter with you?”

He continued: “But that’s, of course, the attitude that you all took to Brexit. It could never happen, it was irreverent. My achievement is to have taken an issue that was considered to be completely wrong, perhaps even immoral, and help to turn it into a mainstream view in British politics.”

Mr Farage and Mr Trump met in August when they shared a platform during a campaign rally at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, Mississipi.

I helped Brexit go mainstream

Mr Farage was at the Spectator Awards to accept a lifetime achievement gong presented by former Chancellor George Osborne.

The Ukip leader told the Tory MP: “George if I’d known that you were going to present me with an award I would not have said in the Sunday Times in the wake of your resignation that you were a pasty-faced bastard who should never be seen again in public life in this country.”

He finished his acceptance speech by saying British politics would never be the same again because he “wouldn’t be in it”, describing himself as “very pleased” about that.

Ukip in trouble

Beleaguered Ukip, which in the last four weeks lost a leader and saw two MEPs embroiled in a highly publicised brawl in Strasbourg, suffered yet another blow yesterday after its biggest donor, Aaron Banks, delivered a damning verdict on the four leadership candidates and warned that the party is facing extinction.

Mr Banks criticised the prospective leaders for a “ludicrous” policy of pushing the party toward the political centre-ground and also forecast that Mr Farage might have to be plucked from retirement yet again in order to stabilise the feuding party.

Ukip’s former deputy leader Paul Nuttal is the frontrunner to replace him as leader. He is competing with Suzanne Evans, its former deputy chairwoman, Peter Whittle, London Assembly member, and John Rees-Evans, a former parliamentary candidate.

Mr Banks said: “We’re struggling at the moment, there’s no point in denying it- I think I’ve backed some three different leaders in the space of three months. At the moment, I’m struggling with the candidates on offer.”