The UK is “first in line” for a trade deal with the US, President Trump’s national security adviser has said.
John Bolton said the US supported a no-deal Brexit and added Washington would propose an accelerated series of trade deals.
According to BBC Bolton claimed deals could be done on a “sector-by-sector” basis, with an agreement on manufacturing made first.
However, critics warned the UK would have to give in to some US demands in return for any trade agreement.
His comments came after meeting Prime Minister Boris Johnson at No 10.
According to Mr Bolton, a bilateral agreement or “series of agreements” could be carved out “very quickly, very straight-forwardly”.
A trade deal for financial services and agriculture would not be the first to be agreed, he added.
Mr Bolton said “doing it in pieces” was not unprecedented and the US understood the importance of doing as much as possible as rapidly as possible before the 31 October exit date.
He said there would be enthusiastic bipartisan support in Congress for speedy ratification at each stage.
But Nancy Pelosi, who leads the Democrats in the US House of Representatives, said in April that a US-UK trade deal would not be “on the cards” if Brexit damaged the Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.
Asked whether his proposed plan would follow World Trade Organisation rules, Mr Bolton said “our trade negotiators seem to think it is”.
And he insisted the UK was “constantly at the front of the trade queue” for the Trump administration.
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