From Jacob Rees-Mogg to Nigel Farage, who are Donald Trump’s British friends? The President’s provocative comments will cause deep dismay in Downing Street as they chime closely with the objections of hardline […]

The President’s provocative comments will cause deep dismay in Downing Street as they chime closely with the objections of hardline Conservative Eurosceptics to Theresa May’s Brexit strategy.

They seized on his comments in The Sun interview – later retracted by Donald Trump – as evidence that her push for a “soft Brexit” would prevent Britain from striking a future trade deal with the United States.

His incendiary remarks go to the heart of the reason that Boris Johnson – who received lavish praise from the President – and David Davis quit the Cabinet.

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‘Wound up’ over White Paper

Both walked out in protest over the negotiating objectives agreed by the Cabinet at last week’s Chequers summit and set out in a White Paper.

The President’s comments also echo the sentiments of the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who is his closest friend in British politics.

Asked by the BBC whether he had “wound up” Mr Trump over the White Paper’s contents, Mr Farage replied: “We’ve had the odd chat about it, I like to have a chat with them [Team Trump].”

Reasonable intervention

Last month prominent Brexiteers belonging to the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs quietly met John Bolton, the President’s national security adviser to set out their position on talks with Brussels.

They included Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Bernard Jenkin and Sir Bill Cash. Mr Duncan Smith, a former party leader, has described Mr Bolton as a “good friend” for 26 years, although he has played down the significance of the meeting.

The ERG’s chairman, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said the President’s intervention was perfectly reasonable.

“What Donald Trump has set out is primarily his view on whether the US will do a trade deal with United Kingdom on the basis that we adopt the common European rulebook and stick to all the EU’s rules,” he said.

Short respite

The former Cabinet minister John Redwood argued: “Were the UK to accept the White Paper position it would be much more difficult to agree a Free Trade Agreement with a non EU country.”

He added: “The Trump administration would like to do a free trade deal with us, but can only do so if we leave the EU, single market, customs union and surrogates for them.”

Mrs May will have only the shortest respite from her Brexit agonies as she braces herself for fresh backbench attacks on her plans in the Commons on Monday and Tuesday.

They could include both Mr Johnson and Mr Davis who are yet to speak in Parliament since they quit the Cabinet, as well as Steve Baker, who resigned as a Brexit minister. Mr Baker, a former ERG chairman, yesterday retweeted reports of the President’s interview.

Brexiteers are planning a series of amendments to legislation crucial to her plans and are threatening to vote with opposition parties in an attempt to scupper her Chequers proposals.