There are two other significant issues. It is not unknown for warm words in the Oval Office to be somewhat contradicted by actions soon after. While sat next to the PM, President Trump described the EU's levying of VAT as a trade restriction, seemingly unaware that the UK does exactly the same thing.

U.S. President Donald Trump signaled the U.K. could broker a "real trade deal" and escape tariffs amid ongoing negotiations sweetened by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Thursday visit to the White House.

Speaking during the prime minister's visit to the White House, Trump envisaged "a real trade deal" which could see the UK avoid the kind of tariffs the president has been threatening on some of the US's other trading partners.