Simon's Blog

I haven’t got the first clue as to what Sir Winston Churchill was like.   I was a young boy when he died but what I do know he was held in the highest regard by all my aunts,  uncles and grandparents.   As I have lived my life I have from time to time read things about what Churchill did during his career and there is little doubt that he wasn’t a simple character but rather someone who once he had entered the room would have been the centre of attention.  He served  in most of the great offices of state during his political life and one thing I think is clear he would not have even contemplated allowing some unelected political enemy to act as the de facto British   representative and conduit to the President of the United States of America.   I suspect he would have seen this little stunt exactly for what it was, a usurpation of Her Majesty’s Government by someone who has no power and is only the temporary leader a junior political party.

I suspect that the Trump side of things didn’t realise what they were getting themselves into when they gave Nigel Farage a meeting before the British Prime Minister.  I suspect that they saw this as just a way of saying thank you for the help given.   If, however, they really do think that Nigel Farage does in some way represent the British Government then we all have a far greater problem than anyone could have imagined.   In diplomacy the little things matter, especially when dealing with one of your countries most important allies and this is a lesson that Donald Trump is going to have to learn.   He might want to make America Great Again but America is part of the wider world and in the wider world things are never as straightforward as they seem from high above 5th Avenue.