Theresa May has refused to rule out a peerage for Nigel Farage – fuelling speculation the UK Government could bring him on board.
The Tory leader was quizzed on the issue by SNP MP George Kerevan at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday.
He asked: “Can the prime minister confirm or deny if there have been any official conversations at any level regarding giving Nigel Farage a peerage?”
The interim Ukip leader was the first British politician to meet US president elect Donald Trump following his victory.
And he has said he believes his connections could be useful to the UK Government in its efforts to secure a trade deal with America.
Responding to Mr Kerevan, Mrs May did not reject the idea, simply replying: “All I can say to you, I’m afraid, is that such matters are normally never discussed in public.”
Her official spokeswoman later said the prime minister had been making a point about process.
She added: “We don’t comment on individuals, there’s a process to be followed.”
Number 10 has also repeatedly insisted its channels of communication with Barack Obama’s successor are “well established”, dismissing the notion of Mr Farage becoming the “third person” in the Trump-May relationship.
The Republican nominee’s win came up a number of times at the weekly sparring match in the Commons.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard asked what action Mrs May would take if the president elect stuck to his pledge to discriminate against British citizens on the basis of their religion.
He asked: “Will you give a commitment that the special relationship which you believe your government has with the US presidency will be conducted on the basis of respect for the dignity of all our citizens, irrespective of their race or religion?”
In December last year, Mr Trump infamously called for a “total and complete shutdown” of the US border to Muslims following a terrorist attack in California.
Mrs May said she wanted to “ensure the dignity of our citizens”, but added: “It is up to the US what rules it puts in place for entry across its borders.”
Conservative MP Nigel Evans urged Mrs May to ensure the “already good trading conditions between the USA and UK further improve”.
Mrs May said this was something she wanted to discuss with Mr Trump at a “very early stage”.