Donald Trump has delivered a huge boost to Britain by promising a trade deal within weeks of taking office to help make Brexit a 'great thing'.

The President-elect spoke in glowing terms of his 'love' for the UK and revealed he was inviting Theresa May to visit him 'right after' he gets into the White House.

He said that he wants a trade agreement between the two countries secured 'very quickly' - making a mockery of President Obama's threat that, if the country voted for Brexit, we would be at the 'back of the queue'.

Boost: Donald Trump has pledged to secure a rapid trade agreement with Britain as he predicted leaving the European Union would be a 'great thing' for the UK

The President-elect plans to invite Theresa May to the White House, during an interview with former cabinet minister Michael Gove (pictured together)

Praise: The President-elect spoke in glowing terms of his 'love' for the UK and is 'emotionally and financially invested' in getting a trade deal, according to Mr Gove

The comments follow weeks of overtures to the Trump camp by Number Ten, including a visit by Mrs May's joint chiefs of staff - and give her a huge boost ahead of her major Brexit speech tomorrow.

Trump vents fury at ex-MI6 spy over his 'golden shower' claims Donald Trump has revealed his fury when he first heard the ex-MI6 spy who wrote the 'dirty dossier'. He says he was so disgusted by lurid sex claims about him he was afraid to shake hands with anyone. Christopher Steele, 52, pictured, has gone into hiding after he was named as the author of the file. Among the incendiary and far-fetched claims in it is that Trump was filmed asking prostitutes to urinate on eachother in a Moscow hotel. He told The Times: 'I was there for the Miss Universe contest, got up, got my stuff and I left. I wasn’t even there — it’s all. So if this guy is a British guy you got a lot of problems. 'That guy is somebody that you should look at, because whatever he made up about me it was false. He was supposedly hired by the Republicans and Democrats working together. Even that I don't believe because they don't work together, they work separately and they don't hire the same guy. What, they got together? 'When I just heard it I ripped up the mat. And the other thing, I can't even, I don't even want to shake hands with people now I hear about this stuff.' Advertisement

Significantly, he struck a decidedly harsher tone with the EU - predicting more countries will leave and saying it has been hugely damaged by the migration crisis.

Germany and its Chancellor Angela Merkel were lambasted for making a 'catastrophic mistake' when she let more than one million migrants.

He said: 'I think it's very tough. People, countries want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity.'

In a joint interview with Michael Gove for the Times, and the German newspaper Bild, Mr Trump also revealed that Mrs May had written to him just after Christmas.

She sent a gift of a copy of Winston Churchill's address to the ­American people, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

In the letter the PM told Mr Trump that she hoped the sentiment of 'unity and fraternal association' between the two countries was 'just as true today as it has ever been'.

Boris Johnson has welcomed Trump's warm words and pledge to secure a trade deal.

Arriving in Brussels he said: 'I think it's very good news that the USA wants to do a good free trade deal with us and wants to do it very fast, and it's great to hear that from President-Elect Donald Trump. Clearly it will have to be a deal that's very much in the interests of both sides but I have no doubt it will be.'

Trump signs one of his 'Make America Great Again' baseball caps during an interview that will be seen as a boost to Britain

Mr Trump said he would be meeting with Theresa May next month to discuss a trade deal with Britain

Inside The Donald's man cave: President-elect's bullet-proof office in Trump Tower has a musket, his face on cover of Playboy and a photo of his father who gave him millions 1. Beautiful Country A Novel by J.R. Thornton. A coming-of-age story set in modern day China centering on the friendship between an American and a Chinese boy who meet while training with Beijing's Junior National Tennis Team. 2. Two copies of Unprecedented, a CNN book on Trump's 2016 election victory. 3. A Tree of Life humanitarian award given to Trump by the Jewish National Fund in 1983. 4. America's Cup foundation award. Trump has previously funded a US yacht in the prestigious sailing contest, which began in 1851 5. His Sholom humanitarian award, also from the Jewish community, which he called one of his most valuable possessions 6. A photograph of Trump's father, Frederick, who died in 1999. He was a property magnate and an inspiration to his tycoon son. 7. The Nathan Hale patriot award, which was given to Trump in 2015. The musket award honours Hale, an American soldier who was executed by the British in 1776 at the age of 21. 8. A bumper sticker from Trump's presidential campaign, carrying his slogan 'Make America Great Again' 9. A bundle of copies of the Financial Times 10. Copy of an issue of GQ magazine with Trump on the cover 11. A boomerang awarded to Trump by The Forum Club in 1995 for pulling off what they described as the ‘Comeback of the Decade’ after he turned his business around following the 1980s real esate market collapse 12. Photograph of Trump with John F. Kennedy Jr, the son of 35th President, JFK. ‘John John’, who was three when his father was assasinated, died in a plane crash in 1999. 13. Playboy front cover from 1990. Trump is one of the few men to ever appear on the cover of the magazine 14. Variety magazine figures declaring The Apprentice to be the number one TV show in the US in 2004 Advertisement

In comments that are likely to trigger controversy at home and abroad, he also:

Gove confronted over 'assassination' of Boris and asked: 'What's it like being called a backstabber?' Piers Morgan cornered Michael Gove over his decision to sink Boris Johnson's leadership campaign after the Brexit vote. MailOnline's US Editor-at-Large said: ''To many you were the steely-eyed assassin who stabbed Boris Johnson in the back'. He then asked: 'Have you enjoyed being described as the nastiest guy in politics and the biggest treacherous backstabber?' Mr Gove, who is paid £150,000-a-year by The Times on top of his £74,962 MP's salary, was on Good Morning Britain promoting his interview with Donald Trump. He said: 'No. But ultimately people throw all sorts of insults at you but your friends know the real you.' Mr Gove admitted that he still speaks to Boris and David Cameron after the internal rows over Brexit. He said: 'I'm not going to get into who I talk to at what time', adding he regretted 'all sorts of stuff' but would not be drawn further. Advertisement

Trump says: 'I love the UK' and promises to get post-Brexit trade deal done very quickly

Theresa May sends him copy of Churchill's famous 1941 speech to Americans given from the White House

Declared that he could agree a nuclear weapons ­reduction deal with Russia's President Putin in return for lifting US sanctions.

He said: 'For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that's part of it.'

Pledged that orders will be signed next Monday to strengthen America's borders, which could include ­travel restrictions on Europeans coming to the US

Threatened 'extreme vetting' for those entering America from parts of the world known for Islamist terrorism.

Said that he will start off by trusting Mrs Merkel and Mr Putin - but that might not last long.

Slammed Nato as 'obsolete' and claimed they had 'not bothered about terrorism'.

Described the decision to invade Iraq as 'possibly the worst ­decision ever made in the history of our country', ­saying it was like 'throwing rocks into a ­beehive'.

During the interview at Trump Tower, the president-elect told Vote Leave champion Mr Gove: 'I love the UK.'

Pointing to a possible meeting with Mrs May at the White House in February, he said: 'We're gonna work very hard to get it done quickly and done properly. Good for both sides.

'I will be ­meeting with [Mrs May]. She's requesting a meeting and we'll have a meeting right after I get into the White House and it'll be, I think we're gonna get something done very quickly.'

Trump made revelations about Brexit, German chancellor Angela Merkel's (right) immigration policy and a UK trade deal, during an interview with ex-cabinet minister Michael Gove (left today)

The President-elect also used the interview to signal his desire for a new arms reduction agreement with Russia, saying the numbers of nuclear weapons should be 'reduced very substantially' (pictured, Russian president Vladimir Putin)

Mr Trump said he thought that 'Brexit is going to end up being a great thing'.

Gove: Britain is better off without me as one of its ambassadors Michael Gove has laughed off the suggestion that he could be a future ambassador to Washington after his interview with Donald Trump. He also praised the work done by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in forging links with the incoming Trump administration. The senior Tory, whose alliance with Mr Johnson during the Brexit campaign spectacularly collapsed in the jostling to replace David Cameron after the referendum, said the Foreign Secretary was doing a 'very good job indeed'. The former education secretary became the second prominent British politician, after ex-Ukip leader Nigel Farage, to meet the US President-elect at Trump Tower. Mr Trump later suggested that Mr Farage would do a 'great job' as ambassador to Washington. But Mr Gove laughed at the suggestion that he too could be a candidate for the post of British ambassador, instead highlighting the 'fantastic' work being done in the role by Sir Kim Darroch. 'I think you can probably tell from my instinctive reaction to that that, wonderful though the Foreign Office is, it is probably better off without me as one of its ambassadors,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today. 'We have got Kim Darroch doing a fantastic job in Washington, by all accounts. Certainly, from the encounters I have had with him, he is a first-class diplomat.' Mr Gove's decision to stand for the Tory leadership in the wake of Mr Cameron's resignation effectively torpedoed Mr Johnson's own effort to secure the keys to Number 10. Mr Johnson was made Foreign Secretary and visited New York and Washington earlier this month to meet key players in the Trump team. Mr Gove said: 'I think Boris is doing a very good job indeed. One of the things that I was told while I was there is that the relationship that Boris had forged with members of the Trump team had been strong and they appreciated his combination of friendliness and candour.' Advertisement

He welcomed the fall in the value of the pound for having helped to boost the attractiveness of British products abroad.

Ahead of his inauguration on Friday, he also that said he was also looking ­forward to visiting Britain, saying his Scottish mother was 'proud of the Queen'.

He went on: 'Any time the Queen was on television, an event, my mother would be watching.

Mr Trump also joked that his Scottish ­ancestry meant he liked to 'watch my ­pennies', adding: 'I mean I deal in big ­pennies, that's the problem.'

The remarks will come as both a relief to No10, and be seen as a vindication of the strategy pursued by Mrs May.

She was accused of being ill-prepared for a Trump victory. Further embarrassment followed when Ukip-leader Nigel Farage was invited for an early meeting at Trump Tower.

Since then, Downing Street has worked hard on building a strong relationship with the Trump team - with top aides Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill visiting New York before Christmas. Last week Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also met with key advisers to Mr Trump.

In the interview, Mr Trump also confirmed that he would appoint Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to broker a Middle East peace deal.

He urged Britain to veto any new UN Security Council resolution critical of Israel and repeated his criticism of President Obama's handling of the Iran nuclear deal.

Michael Gove has been thrown back into the limelight after he secured the interview.

The leader of the Brexit campaign who sank Boris Johnson's leadership campaign admitted he had not told Theresa May he was doing the interview.

He described Trump as looking 'sodium orange' with 'hair is blonder than any human you will have encountered'.

Describing Mr Trump as 'a warm and energetic, charismatic presence', Mr Gove said it was important for the UK to have a 'good businesslike relationship' with the new president, even though some of his previous comments about women were 'completely unacceptable'.

Colourful character: Gove described Trump as looking 'sodium orange' with 'hair is blonder than any human you will have encountered'

Mixed bag: Michael Gove has been thrown back into the limelight after he secured the interview and said he liked Trump - but not some of his policies, which he called 'indefensible'

Business approach: The former education minister told ITV's Good Morning Britain that Mr Trump wants a 'win-win deal' and some of his colourful campaign statements could be attributed to his background as a 'marketeer'

'I love the UK!' Trump is 'emotionally and financially invested' in Britain - and his Scottish roots make him 'count the pennies' Donald Trump is 'emotionally and financially invested' in Britain, Michael Gove said today. The President-elect told him: 'I love the UK'. Mr Trump's mother Mary Anne - who was born in 1912 in Tong - emigrated to America and met and married property magnate Frederick Trump. He also owns two major golf courses in Scotland, including Turnbery. He said: 'My mother was very ceremonial and my mother sort of had a flair, she loved the Queen. She was so proud of the Queen. She loved the ceremonial and the beauty, cause nobody does that like the English. And she had great respect for the Queen, liked her. Anytime the Queen was on television, an event, my mother would be watching. Crazy, right?' Hinting about Scots being careful with money he said: 'The Scottish are known for watching their pennies, so I like to watch my pennies — I mean I deal in big pennies, that's the problem'. She was also a great philanthropist. Mary Anne was the 'mainstay' of the Women's Auxiliary of Jamaica Hospital in New York. She and her husband were also active in the Salvation Army, the Boy Scouts of America and the Lighthouse for the Blind. The billionaire visited his mother's house and his cousins in 2008 after flying in on his private Tristar with 'Trump' emblazened on its side. On that trip, the president-elect revealed that he had been to Lewis once before as 'a three or four year old' but, not surprisingly, could remember little about it and promised to return with his youngest son Barron. Mr Trump was accompanied by his eldest sister Maryanne Trump Barry, a US Federal judge, who has regularly visited her cousins on Lewis. In 2015 he donated nearly £160,000 to a care home in Stornoway - in memory of her mother. Mr Trump's mother died in August 2000 at the age of 88, but had returned to Lewis regularly before her death. His grandfather Malcolm MacLeod was said to be a fisherman and crofter at Tong before becoming the area's first postmaster. According to another report, Mr MacLeod also served as the 'compulsory officer' to enforce attendance at the local school. His wife Mary lived until the age of 96 years, dying in 1963 at 5, Tong, while Malcolm died in 1954 aged 87. Advertisement

Mr Gove said Mr Trump wanted a trade deal in place ready to sign as soon as the UK left the EU.

'I think the president-elect wants to have something signature-ready at the earliest possible opportunity,' he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Brexit campaign leader Mr Gove said Mr Trump should be viewed as a businessman and his offer of a trade deal was a 'sincere wish'.

He told ITV's Good Morning Britain that Mr Trump wants a 'win-win deal' and some of his colourful campaign statements could be attributed to his background as a 'marketeer'.

'Everything that he says is in capital letters and in glowing gold, but then he also, when he gets into the room, looks at the spreadsheet and tries to get the best possible outcome for both sides,' Mr Gove said.

The former education secretary said that before the interview at Trump Tower he had the impression of the US president-elect as a 'big, bombastic personality'.

'When you actually meet him, yes he is an electric figure - charismatic - but also he is warmer ... close up than you would imagine,' he said.

Despite his 'aggressive' persona on Twitter 'in person he has honeyed words for almost everyone'.

Mr Trump was 'enthusiastic' about Brexit, Mr Gove added.

'He stressed that he believed the European Union would potentially break up in the future and that other countries would leave. So in a sense he is both emotionally and financially invested in it.'

He said the offer of a US trade deal would strengthen Mrs May's hand in the Brexit negotiations with Brussels.

'The EU until now has been assumed to have a better hand to play, but the Prime Minister we now see has actually cards in her hand, including from candidate Trump, which will enable her, I think, to secure a better deal,' Mr Gove said.

The Prime Minister had so far done an 'exemplary job', according to Mr Gove, who said he had a private conversation with Mrs May before Christmas.

He said leaving the single market and customs union would be the 'logical consequence' of the EU referendum result and suggested that Mrs May should confirm that in her major Brexit speech on Tuesday.

Mr Gove described Mr Trump's conversational style as being like a river in spate, adding: 'You throw pebbles into it and sometimes there are eddies and currents and from that you can read what it is that he wants.'

Mr Gove said he believed Mr Trump was an 'admirer' of Mrs May and wanted a swift and comprehensive trade deal with the UK.

The president-elect feels a sense of 'ownership' of Brexit and wants to see it succeed, because he was one of the first international political figures to support it, said the former cabinet minister.

Mr Gove told BBC1's Breakfast: 'It's clear from what he says is that he is an admirer of the Prime Minister, is keen to see her as quickly as possible, and wants to have the strongest possible relationship between Britain and America, and I think - provided that relationship is conducted in a businesslike way - that can only be a good thing.'

Theresa May sends a Christmas letter to Trump detailing a famous Winston Churchill speech as she tells him the 'special relationship' should be inspired by 'the most famous British-American' Theresa May has invoked the spirit of Britain's greatest leader as she tries to woo Donald Trump. The Prime Minister wrote to the President Elect just after Christmas to build bridges amid shaky diplomatic relations and the need to secure a good post-Brexit trade deal with his administration. Mrs May sent Mr Trump a copy of Winston Churchill's speech to the American people at Christmas 1941. In a letter dated December 29 she told him that 'the sentiment he expressed — of a sense of unity and fraternal association between the United Kingdom and United States — is just as true today as it has ever been'. Mrs May sent Mr Trump a copy of Churchill's speech to the American people at Christmas 1941, pictured with US President Franklin D Roosevelt in the Oval Office on Dece,ber 23 that year In a personal message she said: 'I hope you managed to find some time to pause and spend time with your family over the holiday season'. Churchill's message to the American people on Christmas Eve 1941 was a rare and historic moment at a time of great peril for the world. It was a turning point in the Second World War and came days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7. He said: I spend this anniversary and festival far from my country, far from my family, yet I cannot truthfully say that I feel far from home. 'Whether it be the ties of blood on my mother's side, or the friendships I have developed here over many years of active life, or the commanding sentiment of comradeship in the common cause of great peoples who speak the same language, who kneel at the same altars and, to a very large extent, pursue the same ideals, I cannot feel myself a stranger here in the centre and at the summit of the United States. 'I feel a sense of unity and fraternal association which, added to the kindliness of your welcome, convinces me that I have a right to sit at your fireside and share your Christmas joys'. He added: 'Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. 'Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a free and decent world'. In 1963 Churchill, who had an American mother, was the first person to given an honorary US passport. Only eight have ever been given. Mrs May's warm words to Mr Trump came amid the row over a former MI6 spy's 'dirty dossier' on Trump and claims that the Government knew about the report and gave permission for him to speak to the FBI. In January last year 500,000 people signed a petition demanding the billionaire should be banned from Britain after he called for a ban on Muslim immigrants in the wake of the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. It drew angry reactions in Britain, where MPs even debated a motion to ban Mr Trump from entering the UK. Mrs May, then the home secretary, described Mr Trump's plan as 'plain wrong,' while Boris Johnson branded him 'unfit' to be President. Her letter to him was sent days before it was revealed that the bust of Winston Churchill is set to be restored to the Oval Office by Donald Trump. The sculpture of Britain's war-winning Prime Minister taken out by Barack Obama in favour of a similar statue of Martin Luther King. His decision to send the Churchill bust to the US Embassy in London caused outrage in Britain, with Boris Johnson labelling it a 'snub to Britain' and suggesting it was because of Obama's 'ancestral dislike of the British Empire.' The bust, sculpted by Jacob Epstein, was given to George W Bush as a gift by Tony Blair, and was displayed throughout Bush's two presidential terms but removed by President Obama But the president-elect was asked by the New York Times if he would bring Churchill back to the White House, he replied 'I am, indeed, I am.' When it was revealed the Obama had removed Churchill, he explained in a press conference that he has a second one located in his private residence in the White House. He said: 'I see it every day, including on weekends, when I'm going into that office to watch a basketball game. 'The primary image I see is a bust of Winston Churchill. It's there voluntarily, because I can do anything on the second floor. I love Winston Churchill.' But the main bust, sculpted by Jacob Epstein, was given to George W Bush as a gift by Tony Blair, and was displayed throughout Bush's two presidential terms. Trump initially outlined his plans to return it back in November, in a move that was welcomed by his close ally Nigel Farage, but confirmed his intentions again this week. Advertisement

Donald Trump slams Angela Merkel's catastrophic open-door migration policy after she allowed one million into Germany

Mr Trump said Mrs Merkel had made a 'catastrophic mistake' by allowing one million migrants into her country

Angela Merkel was lambasted over Germany's open-door migration policy by Donald Trump last night.

The president-elect said that German Chancellor Mrs Merkel had made a 'catastrophic mistake' by allowing 1million migrants into her country – and he predicted that the European Union will fall apart.

In comments that will trigger alarm in Berlin and Brussels, Mr Trump said that he fully understood why Britain had voted for Brexit and he thought others could follow suit.

He said: 'I do believe this, if [EU countries] hadn't been forced to take in all of the refugees, so many, with all the problems that it entails, I think that you wouldn't have a Brexit. It probably could have worked out but this was the final straw, this was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

'I think people want… their own identity, so if you ask me… I believe others will leave.'

Mr Trump was also far less warm about Mrs Merkel than he has been about Theresa May. He said that he had 'great respect' for the German leader.

But, in a withering attack, he told The Times and German newspaper Bild: 'I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals, you know, taking all of the people from wherever they come from.

'And nobody even knows where they come from. So I think she made a catastrophic mistake, very bad mistake.'

Mr Trump added that he though the entire EU had become a 'vehicle' for Germany.

Meanwhile, the outgoing director of the CIA yesterday warned Mr Trump to watch his mouth – especially when talking about Vladimir Putin.

Criticising the president-elect's regular posts on Twitter, John Brennan told Mr Trump to stop 'talking and tweeting' and said being so off the cuff was bad for national security.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday – a show that Mr Trump often watches – Mr Brennan said: 'Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests and so therefore when he speaks or when he reacts, just make sure he understands that the implications and impact on the United States could be profound.'

Mr Trump said last week that he was not opposed to lifting sanctions if Russia was 'really helping us'.

He also said that, once he has been sworn in, meeting the Russian president was 'absolutely fine with me'.

Mr Trump said last week that he was not opposed to lifting sanctions if Russia was 'really helping us'

Mr Brennan called for Mr Trump to be 'very, very careful' about cosying up to Russia and said 'the world is watching' what he says.

He said: 'I think [Mr Trump] has to be mindful that he does not have a full appreciation and understanding of what the implications are of going down that road.

'Now that he's going to have an opportunity to do something for our national security as opposed to talking and tweeting, he's going to have tremendous responsibility to make sure that US and national security interests are protected.'

At a press conference last week Mr Trump, whose inauguration is on Friday, had likened his treatment by the intelligence agencies to being in Nazi Germany. But Mr Brennan said the comparison was 'outrageous'.

He said: 'The world is watching now what Trump says and listening very carefully. If he doesn't have confidence in the intelligence community, what signal does that send to our partners and allies, as well as our adversaries? It's more than just about Mr Trump.'

It was claimed that Mr Trump was planning a summit with Mr Putin for his first foreign trip as president.

Mr Trump's spokesman Sean Spicer dismissed the claim as '100 per cent false'.