America should do a free trade deal with Britain following Donald Trump’s US election victory, one of the most influential Republicans in Washington DC believes.

Paul Ryan, speaker of the US House of Representatives, thinks such an agreement would show the UK that America remains an “indispensable ally”.

Mr Ryan wants US officials to start working on an agreement right away to show “solidarity” even though no deal can be signed until Britain has left the European Union.

The support is a huge boost for Theresa May’s Government, which has talked up the chances of a free trade deal after Mr Trump’s shock election victory this month.

Unlike Barack Obama, who publicly opposed Brexit and said the UK would be at the “back of the queue” for a trade deal, Mr Trump welcomed the vote to leave the EU.