Boris Johnson to meet with former right-wing news boss Steve Bannon this week

Mr Bannon is now Donald Trump's top aide

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will travel to Washington DC and New York City (PA)

Boris Johnson will meet top Donald Trump aide and former right-wing news boss Steve Bannon on his trip to the US this week, The Independent understands.

The Foreign Secretary will schedule meetings with top White House and Republican figures including Mr Bannon when he visits Washington DC and New York.

Mr Bannon was executive chair of the far-right website Brietbart News, an outlet which has developed a reputation for publishing conspiracy theories and misleading or false stories.

The former media executive turned politician now sits on a committee of the US National Security Council by virtue of Mr Trump appointing him as White House chief strategist and assistant to the President.

Foreign Office sources confirmed the Foreign Secretary would be meeting with Mr Bannon and other top Trump advisors such as Stephen Miller on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mr Johnson is also expected to meet Mr Trump’s pick for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson – his likely counterpart.

The visit will come just days after the White House accused a British intelligence agency of spying on the US president Mr Trump.

Sean Spicer, the president’s press secretary, said GCHQ had helped Barack Obama spy on Mr Trump – leading to a rare denial by GCHQ.

Donald Trump and Mr Bannon (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) (Getty)

After the meetings with Mr Trump’s officials in Washington DC Mr Johnson is expected to head to New York City where he will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council on the security situation in Somalia and the famine in South Sudan.

He will also host a major UN event on women’s global empowerment.

An FCO spokesperson said: "Boris Johnson will travel to the Washington this week for a summit on countering Daesh on Wednesday 22 March and then to New York to chair discussions on South Sudan and Somalia in the UN Security Council on Thursday 23 March.

"On Wednesday evening he will attend a reception linked to the ongoing UN Commission on the Status of Women."