Nigel Farage would represent himself not UK - says Duncan Smith

Nigel Farage would represent "himself" rather than the "nation" if he ever became an ambassador, ex-Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has said.

Downing Street ruled out selecting the UKIP leader as ambassador in Washington after President-elect Donald Trump said he would be a "great" choice.

Mr Duncan Smith said: "The story would be Mr Farage representing Mr Farage to Mr Trump, not the United Kingdom."

But Mr Farage has said he is in a "good position" to work with Mr Trump.

The UKIP interim leader - filling in while the party's leadership election takes place - was the first UK politician to visit the president-elect after his victory against Hillary Clinton earlier this month. He also helped Mr Trump during his campaign, speaking at a rally in Mississippi.

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In a tweet on Monday, Mr Trump wrote that "many people" would like to see Mr Farage as UK ambassador to the US and said he would do a "great job".

But the government said there was "no vacancy" and the incumbent, Sir Kim Darroch, was "excellent".

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Duncan Smith, who was Tory leader from 2001 to 2003 and served as work and pensions secretary from 2010 until March this year, also dismissed the idea of of Mr Farage as an ambassador.

He said: "I think the main reason why you wouldn't necessarily use Nigel Farage is that Nigel Farage has become himself, rather than a nation - in other words you want somebody over in Washington who represents seamlessly the interests of your nation and doesn't themselves become the story.

"I fancy that if you were to appoint Mr Farage, whatever his merits may or may not be, I think the story would be Mr Farage representing Mr Farage to Mr Trump, not the United Kingdom. And our job is to have someone who represents the United Kingdom without fear or favour."

On Tuesday, writing for Breitbart website, whose former executive chairman Stephen Bannon has been appointed Mr Trump's chief strategist, Mr Farage said: "At every stage I am greeted by negative comments coming out of Downing Street.

"The dislike of me, UKIP, and the referendum result is more important to them than what could be good for our country."

Mr Farage said politicians who had been "openly abusive about Trump now pretend to be his friend".