Nigel Farage says a post-Brexit trade deal with the US can be reached in just three months under Donald Trump
The former Ukip leader said relationships with the President-elect's team would speed up talks, but that he wasn't yet convinced by Theresa May's Brexit strategy
NIGEL Farage has said that it could take just three months for Britain to do a trade deal with America after Brexit.
The former Ukip leader said today that relations with Donald Trump's team could strengthen Britain's negotiating hand in talks with the EU too.
Mr Farage told Sky News that a deal could be reached quickly with the incoming President.
"I am absolutely certain... knowing mainly of the Trump team, they want to show the outside world they are not protectionist," he said.
"This won't take two years or five years, or ten years... we want to get this done in three months. Then it's going to be up to the British Government to respond to it."
But he was "yet to be convinced" of Theresa May's approach to leaving the EU, even though she will "sound very reassuring" in her big speech this week.
"People like me will say it sounds great but why is it taking so long?" he said today.
He asked listeners if they too thought she lacked a clear “vision” and were as frustrated as he was at not knowing her plan seven months after the referendum result.
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Today Mr Farage argued that relationships with the President-elect's team mean that Britain has "got a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our negotiating hand" in the EU talks.
"Nobody on the Brexit side made an insular argument," he added. "We are freeing ourselves to re-engage with the world.
"We're going to have to start standing up for ourselves in the council of Brussels."
The former Ukip leader also said that Donald Trump wouldn't be changing his ways after he is sworn in as President.
"He will go on tweeting, he will go on saying what he thinks... generally ignoring the media," he said this morning.
"This is going to be completely and utterly different... what matters, frankly... is what the American people think."
The MEP said that a summit between the President-elect and the Russian President could help cool the escalating tensions between the West and Russia.
"There is nothing to be lost in him sitting down and talking with Vladimir Putin," he said.
"The idea that somehow he is going to appease Putin, give in to Putin, or that he will give over our security secrets to Putin is nonsense."