Donald Trump has told Boris Johnson to celebrate the Conservatives' landslide election victory, which he claims could trigger a “massive” UK-US trade deal.
“Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his great WIN! Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after BREXIT,” the US president tweeted in the early hours of Friday morning.
“This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the E.U. Celebrate Boris!”
With just a handful of seats still to declare on Friday morning, the BBC forecast a Conservative majority of 78, with a total of 364 MPs compared to Labour’s 203, the SNP on 48 and the Liberal Democrats on 12.
It will mean the largest Tory majority since 1987 and would clear the way for Mr Johnson to take the UK out of the EU on 31 January and enjoy a free hand to implement his programme in a term of at least four and a half years in Downing Street.
Mr Trump has long openly favoured Mr Johnson over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who announced he would not fight another election following a ”very disappointing night”.
Last month, Mr Trump said Labour leader Mr Corbyn would be “so bad” for Britain and that Mr Johnson should form a pact with Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.
The president also supports Brexit, and has repeatedly encouraged the UK to take a harder negotiating stance with the EU, which he considers a competitor to the US.
Mr Johnson later pleaded with Mr Trump to stay out of the UK election amid reports Tory chiefs were concerned the US president could sabotage the party’s campaign by making explosive claims about the NHS.
Mr Trump is extraordinarily unpopular in the UK, with two out of every three Britons taking a dim view of the former reality TV star, according to YouGov.
