A US-UK trade deal can be ready within six months, an adviser to Donald Trump said today.

Delivering another boost to Theresa May's hopes of striking new free trade deals after Brexit, Antony Scaramucci said Britain will be one of the President-elect's priorities when he enters the White House on Friday.

He said he didn't want to 'exaggerate' the speed at which a trade deal could be agreed between the two nations but said Mr Trump's team would be in a position to offer an arrangement within the 'first six months or the first year of the administration'.

Delivering another boost to Theresa May's hopes of striking new free trade deals after Brexit, Antony Scaramucci, pictured, said Britain will be one of the President-elect's priorities when he enters the White House on Friday

Mr Scaramucci, an American financier and entrepreneur, said Mr Trump's team will 'take the steps necessary to make sure the UK is at the front of the line as opposed to the back of the line, on trade deals'.

It contrasts with the approach to Brexit taken by outgoing president Barack Obama, who warned British voters that the UK would be 'at the back of the queue' for a trade deal if they opted to leave the EU last year.

Asked if Britain would be Mr Trump's number one priority for a trade deal, Mr Scaramucci told ITV News: 'I don't want to say number one, but I think you're pretty close.

'We see the unique, special relationship bond and love that these countries and people have for each other.'

His comments build on Mr Trump's promise of an agreement with the UK 'very quickly'.

And it came as Mrs May unveiled her vision for a 'truly global Britain' after Brexit, promising to free the UK from EU rules banning individual member states from striking new trade deals.

In her keynote speech today she said American was one of the major nations Britain would forge new trading relations with.

In an interview with Brexit champion Michael Gove for The Times yesterday, Mr Trump spoke in terms of his 'love' for the UK and revealed Mrs May would be coming to visit him 'right after' he gets into the White House

The comments from Antony Scaramucci deliver another boost to Theresa May's hopes of forming new trading relationships with major nations after Brexit

In an interview with Brexit champion Michael Gove for The Times yesterday, Mr Trump spoke in terms of his 'love' for the UK and revealed Mrs May would be coming to visit him 'right after' he gets into the White House.

Downing Street hailed the President-elect's pledge to do a 'great' deal with the UK.

The Prime Minister's spokesperson said: 'We welcome the commitment from the president elect to engage with the UK on this to work together to agree a deal quickly.

'That highlights the opportunities of leaving the EU.'

But she added that only 'scoping' discussions could be held before the end of the Article 50 process, and there were a 'lot of issues to cover' .

'We have also been clear that we will respect our obligations while we remain in the EU,' she said.

'We cannot enter and sign a free trade agreement while we remain in the EU.

'We will have scoping to look at what some of the areas may be ... but we will continue to respect while we remain a member of the EU.

'We will be having scoping discussions to look at the areas where we can benefit most. There will be a lot of issues to cover with this.'