Number 10 says Boris Johnson's Brexit deal allows UK to trade after Donald Trump criticism

Downing Street has defended Boris Johnson's Brexit deal after Donald Trump claimed it would limit trade with the US.

The US president appeared on Nigel Farage's LBC show on Thursday evening, claiming that under "certain aspects of the deal" the UK "can't trade".

However a Number 10 source fired back, insisting Mr Johnson's deal would allow Britain to "take back control" from the EU.

They said: "The PM negotiated a new deal which ensures that we take back control of our laws, trade, borders and money - a deal which people said he could never negotiate.

"Under this new deal the whole of the UK will leave the EU Customs Union, which means we can strike our own free trade deals around the world from which every part of the UK will benefit.

"This election will allow voters to choose a Parliament actually willing to get Brexit done so this country to move on – all Jeremy Corbyn can offer is two referendums next year and no leadership to take this country forward.”

The US president waded into British domestic politics during his phone-in to Mr Farage's talkshow, in which he talked about Brexit, the upcoming election, Jeremy Corbyn and Harry Dunn.

  • What did Donald Trump say on Brexit and trade?

The US president described Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage as ‘two brilliant people’. Credit: PA

On the issue of a future free-trade agreement between the UK and the US, Mr Trump said: "We want to do trade with UK and they want to do trade with us," he said.

"To be honest with you... this deal... under certain aspects of the deal... you can't do it, you can't do it, you can't trade.

"We can't make a trade deal with the UK because I think we can do many times the numbers that we're doing right now and certainly much bigger numbers than you are doing under the European Union."

The US president also urged the prime minister and the Brexit party leader to "get together", describing them as "two brilliant people" who would make an "unstoppable force", in what appeared to be a call for them to form a pact.

In a radio interview with Mr Farage on LBC, Mr Trump waded into British domestic affairs by voicing his opinion ahead of the election - a move that has been described by Mr Corbyn as interference.

On the Labour leader, he said: "Corbyn would be so bad for your country, he'd be so bad, he'd take you on such a bad way. He'd take you into such bad places.

"Your country has tremendous potential. It's a great country."

  • The NHS 'not for US' and Corbyn dismissal

Mr Trump dismissed Jeremy Corbyn's warnings that the NHS will be up for grabs for the US after Brexit.

"It's so ridiculous. I think Corbyn put that out there."

He added: "It's not for us to have anything to do with your health care system. No, we're just talking about trade."

The president added: "Not at all. We wouldn't even be involved in that, no."

Mr Corbyn responded on Twitter accusing the US President of interfering in Britain's election.

He said: "It was Trump who said in June the NHS is 'on the table'. And he knows if Labour wins US corporations won’t get their hands on it."

  • Trump on Meghan

Mr Trump was also asked by Mr Farage if he feels sorry for the Duchess of Sussex "given what the press are saying about her", and the President said: "Well I've been watching her interviews, and I've seen it and she's taking it very personally.

"I guess you have to be a little bit different than that. But she takes it very, very personally, and I can understand it.

"But I don't know her. I will say I met Harry. He's great. I met him when I was over."

Meghan appeared alongside Harry in the ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, where she described her past year as a member of the Royal Family as "hard".

  • ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Wiener explains the implications of Trump's intervention: