Nigel Farage pleads with Theresa May on Good Morning Britain to ask for his help and ‘connections’ to build relations with Donald Trump

NIGEL Farage pleaded with Theresa May to let him help the Government build relations with Donald Trump as he offers to “smooth the path”.

The Ukip leader said Number 10 could say to him “look, can you help us?” as he trumpeted his “connections” to the President-elect and his top team.

But he rubbished claims Mr Trump’s new chief strategist Steve Bannon will call him ahead of the Prime Minister on policy proposals affecting the UK.

And Mr Farage said he would not take a job in Mrs May’s Cabinet, adding: “It’s not going to happen”.

After the chief Brexiteer became the first UK politician to visit the man set to replace Barack Obama in the White House, he has been touted as a potential intermediary between the US and the UK.

Meanwhile Mrs May was only the 10th leader Mr Trump rang to speak to, and Downing Street is scrambling to try and arrange a face-to-face meeting as the so-called ‘special relationship’ hits a bumpy patch.

Asked by Piers Morgan he thought about the fact he had a better relationship with the President-elect, Mr Farage replied: “It is what it is.”

He said he was on the man willing to put his “head over the parapet” and say Mr Trump was the “force for change” that America needed.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he said: “He’s a very loyal person, I supported him through thick and thin during the campaign - which wasn’t always easy - and that’s why he saw me, because I was loyal to him.”

He repeated his offer of help, which has been angrily rebuffed by the PM’s spokesman –who said he would not be “third person” in the Anglo-American relations.

“All I've said is "I've got some connections, I'd like to help'. If they don't want me, that's fine”, he added.

“I do have a relationship with him, and with some of his team.”

Mr Farage said he had been “bombarded” with businesses wanting to use his in with Mr Trump, adding: “Common sense tells you if you have a route in and a connection you use it.

“However the Conservatives, the Government, they’ve always loathed me – I think because I was a Conservative and I turned against them.”

He told Susanna Reid they should put aside any “personal differences”, and ask him: “Can you smooth the path?”

“To which the answer is a big yes,” he added.

But asked if he would take a formal role he said: “I would turn down a Cabinet position I’m not in the Conservative party it can’t happen.”

This morning another senior Government figure dismissed suggestions Mr Farage should have a formal role in dealing with the real estate mogul-turn politician.

The Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Nigel Farage played a significant role in the referendum campaign but we have a team of people on the ground in Washington who have been building ties with the Trump transition team for many months.

"We have ministers in the current government who have close ties to senior Republicans, who know people in the Trump transition team.

“There are normal government to government relations in a period like this and that's what's going to happen."