Farage will not be 'third person' in UK-US ties

Downing Street has slapped down Nigel Farage after his visit to see Donald Trump, by declaring there will be no "third person" in the prime minister's relationship with the President-elect.

After Farage became the first British politician to meet Trump, a No 10 spokeswoman said during a call the US leader told Theresa May he wanted their ties to be akin to Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher's.

The put-down came after an ecstatic Farage appeared in pictures with Trump following their meeting in New York and then did television interviews telling May it was time to "mend some fences" with the US leader. It also followed claims, not denied by Farage, that he had spoken with ministers about serving as intermediary to try and improve relations with the new US leader.

Meanwhile, according to a leaked memo seen by British media outlets, Britain is reported to have no overall plan for Brexit and the strategy for leaving the European Union.

Titled "Brexit Update" and dated November 7, the memo criticises May for her tendency of "drawing in decisions and details to settle the matter herself," the BBC and The Times reported yesterday.

May has promised to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which kicks off two years of talks to leave the EU, by the end of March, but she has so far given little away about her plans for Britain's future ties with the bloc.

The UK's High Court ruled earlier this month that May's administration would not be allowed to trigger the country's exit from the EU without approval from parliament.