Nigel Farage was proclaimed as “the next prime minister of Great Britain” at a huge party overlooking the White House to celebrate the upcoming inauguration of his friend and ally Donald Trump.
The Stars and Stripes Union Jack reception on the rooftop of the Hay Adams hotel on Friday night became a gathering of the glitterati of the US and UK political right, with Maga Republicans rubbing shoulders with Reform UK, senior Conservatives, and Brexiteers.
Organised by the so-called “bad boys of Brexit” Andy Wigmore and Arron Banks, who had initially been blocked from entering the US, along with leading Washington fixer Gerry Gunster, the party became a celebration of Farage (the guest honour) and his eight years of friendship with Mr Trump.
The victory of the incoming president against what many in the room saw as staggering odds was taken as a sign of what could happen in the UK and Europe.
open image in gallery
Mr Gunster opened the speeches proclaiming: “I hope when we are next gathered it is not in eight years but to celebrate Nigel Farage becoming the prime minister of Great Britain.” To cheers he suggested that Mr Farage – one of the five Reform MPs – “could put the great back in Britain again”.
Former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant regaled how he had first introduced Mr Trump and Mr Farage when he persuaded “Mr Brexit” to go on the stage at a rally in August 2016.
Mr Farage told the crowd that day “I wouldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me”, and Mr Bryant claimed that it was “the turning point” which ended up with Mr Trump in the White House first time round.
The Reform UK leader likened his “insurgent” party “led by apolitical maverick” to Mr Trump.
open image in gallery
“I actually do believe that we will win the next general election,” he said. “I do believe I can become the next prime minister. I hope we do so quickly while Trump is still in office.”
For that to happen the Starmer government would need to collapse before 2028 and well before his five years in office has to come to an end in 2029.
The party began with British Serbian opera singer Nevena Bridgen – former wife to the disgraced ex-Tory MP Andrew Bridgen – singing the British and US national anthems.
Big names from the right of politics came to hobnob about what Monday’s inauguration will mean and plot a right-wing populist future for the West.
At one point Mr Trump’s old alt-right ally Steve Bannon arrived, holding court on the balcony overlooking the White House.
open image in gallery
Former prime minister Liz Truss was also in attendance, telling fellow party goers that Mr Trump “will save Western civilisation”. Ms Truss was accompanied by Michael Pack, a right-wing documentarian who has been promoting his film about the ex-PM’s short-lived tenure at No 10.
Mr Farage was joined by several fellow Reform members including chair Zia Yusuf and fundraiser-in-chief Nick Candy.
Labour’s former Europe minister turned hardline Brexiteer Baroness Kate Hoey was one of the Northern Irish unionist contingent including Ian Paisley Jr acting as the announcements man.
While Mr Trump and his family were not flying up to DC until the weekend, a large number of his transition team and future and potential nominees including Kristi Noem, Seb Gorka, Zachary Freeman, Peggy Grande and Sebastian Gorka were present.
The much-criticised policy document Project 2025 was well represented at the party, with figures from the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation attending including international trade expert Andy Hale and director of the Margaret Thatcher Center, Nile Gardiner.
Boris Johnson had been invited but is also not flying in until Sunday. However, his former right-hand man in parliament Nigel Adams, was one of a number of Tories present.
open image in gallery
Others included Lord Matthew Elliot, who founded Vote Leave, and had once been part of the decision to exclude Mr Farage from the main Brexit campaign. He was with his wife Lady Sarah Elliott, former chair of Republicans Abroad and now head of the US unit at the Legatum Institute in London.
More significantly, Elon Musk sent a close associate to represent him at the party in what was seen as a warming of relations with Reform and Mr Farage again after their Tommy Robinson spat earlier this month.
One invitee not present was Keir Starmer’s nominee for UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, whose nomination is being objected to by the Trump team.
As one insider said: “His absence was noted. Possibly a missed opportunity to make some friends.” However, the current British ambassador Dame Karen Pierce, who many in the Trump camp would like to see stay on, was in attendance.
A Foreign Office source told The Independent that the incoming ambassador’s absence was a function of the British embassy only having “one ambassador at a time”.
