Priti Patel takes swipe at Nigel Farage's Reform in fight for Donald Trump's attention

Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel says the Republicans and Conservatives person been 'sister parties' for decades - but Reform UK is conscionable a 'pop-up act'

Senior Tory Priti Patel has attempted to marque Nigel Farage's Reform UK a "pop-up act" arsenic some parties combat for Donald Trump's attention.

Dame Priti, the Shadow the Foreign Secretary, took a swipe astatine the Conservatives' rival enactment up of the president-elect's swearing-in ceremonial successful the US. Appearing successful Washington DC, Dame Priti said the Tories and the Republican Party were "sister parties".

Asked connected Sky News whether she volition person to marque bid with Mr Farage successful bid to get a proceeding successful the White House, the erstwhile Cabinet curate argued it was not a applicable point.

She insisted: "We person enduring, agelong lasting ties with the Republican Party. Our 2 parties successful authorities and retired of authorities person worked intimately unneurotic implicit decades.

"In the past, 2 governments ending the Cold War, bringing economical prosperity astir the world, arsenic good arsenic for our 2 countries."

She added: "You cognize Reform, we're not a pop-up enactment successful the mode successful which they are, and their beingness is present close now. Our 2 parties are knitted unneurotic successful the precise principles of conservativism, and our DNA connected values and beliefs is incredibly strong.

"So I don't deliberation that's peculiarly relevant. I deliberation importantly, I person worked with the past Trump authorities erstwhile I was Home Secretary.

"I person a way record, surely successful moving connected nationalist security, homeland information - the existent issues that substance to the British radical and the American people, and those ties volition continue."

It came aft Mr Farage, who is besides successful the US, described immoderate members of the incoming president's furniture arsenic "genuine friends connected velocity dial". Last week a canvass showed Reform UK leapfrog the Tories - 25% versus 22% - conscionable 2 months aft Kemi Badenoch was elected arsenic Tory person by the party's membership.