Trade minister Douglas Alexander said the UK-US trade deal is in both countries’ “respective national interests”.

He told the Commons: “The deal we have agreed is the first step in delivering on the commitment made by the Prime Minister and President Trump in February to reach an economic deal in our respective national interests.

“First and foremost, this deal will protect UK jobs while laying the groundwork for increased transatlantic trade and investment. As the Prime Minister has commented within the last hour, it is jobs saved, not jobs done.

“To that end, I can inform the House that the deal we have secured, secured reductions in the 25% tariffs imposed by the United States on the UK car industry. UK exports to the US will face a lower tariff of 10% for a quota of 100,000 vehicles.”

He added: “This deal also secures the removal of the new tariffs the US imposed on steel and aluminium in March through duty free quotas. It reinforces our commitment to the steel industry, following our swift action last month to protect British Steel and its two and a half thousand employees.”

The British Beer and Pub Association has demanded “urgent clarity” from the government, after No.10 claimed a new tariff reduction on ethanol would help the British beer industry.

A BBPA spokesperson said: “We are urgently seeking clarity about the details of the deal as, given ethanol is not used to make beer, we cannot see how this is a win for brewers or pubs. We continue to urge Government to focus on securing a trade deal that boosts the sector and doesn’t penalise British beer, which brings so much to our economy and job market.”

The National Farmers Union (NFU) have welcomed aspects of today’s US-UK trade deal, but warn of one major concern.

They say they appreciate the government’s efforts to open up the US markets to greater exports, and note that there is no reduction in UK food standards.

“However, the inclusion of a significant volume of bioethanol in the deal raises concerns for British arable farmers.

“We’ll be engaging closely with our members to help them understand and prepare for the potential impact.”

Downing Street’s trade deal press release suggested today’s deal could lower beer prices for British drinkers.

They said: “We will also remove the tariff on ethanol – which is used to produce beer – coming into the UK from the US, down to zero”.

However it’s now been pointed out that ethanol is not used for beer, but is a byproduct of its production.

So no cheaper beer in British pubs.

Former PM Liz Truss describes today’s announcement as “fantastic”.

She says: “Fantastic to see the UK US trade deal struck – one of the biggest benefits of Brexit.

“It’s been a long time in the making. And I’m confident that this is just the start.”

The Liberal Democrats have said Starmer will be showing “complete disrespect” to voters if he doesn’t let MPs vote on it.

Sir Ed Davey reacts: “When it comes to any trade deal – and especially one with someone as unreliable as Donald Trump – the devil will be in the detail. One thing is clear, Trump’s trade tariffs are still hitting key British industries, threatening the livelihoods of people across the UK.”

“The Government must now publish the full details of this deal and give MPs a vote. It would show complete disrespect to the public if this deal was waved through without giving Parliament a say.

“The Liberal Democrats will continue to ask the questions the public want answers to. Like so many people, we have grave concerns about Donald Trump’s attempts to undercut British farmers, undermine children’s online safety and secure tax breaks for US tech barons. These are compounded by Trump’s history of breaking his word and ripping up trade deals on a whim.”

The Government has insisted that today’s trade deal, which includes reducing agricultural barriers, will have no effect on chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef remaining illegal in the UK.

They insist that today’s deal does not weaken UK food standards.

Keir Starmer has brought his press conference to an end, concluding a bumper hour of news.

Keir Starmer says there aren’t any tariffs on the film industry at the moment, but he’s talking about the threat from the President’s team.

“We are brilliant at these things, therefore I will act in the national interest and have these discussions.”

Keir Starmer insists he wasn’t bounced into today’s announcement by President Trump.

He insists teams were hard at work for the past few weeks and wanted a deal over the line “in a timely manner”.

“The last thing I wanted to do was get a deal that didn’t come in time for those that desperately need it.

“I didn’t know the exact day, I wouldn’t have been having my phone call halfway through the second half of the Arsenal-PSG had I planned it better! But that’s the way it turned out.”

Keir Starmer insists Donald Trump can’t change his mind on this deal as it’s written in text, and the President won’t be able to change his mind on a whim.

He argues this gives assurance to British industry, and the tariff reductions will come in “in very short order”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch describes today’s deal as being “shafted” by the US.

Keir Starmer says he gets the message voters sent in the local elections last week, and he has them in mind when he makes the decisions he makes such as with today’s US trade deal.

He says he’d like to go further on tariffs, but insists it’s “Really important we’ve been able to get this deal over the line now”.

“That reduction down from 27.5% to 10% makes a huge difference for companies like JLR.

“Steel and aluminium… to get that down to 0% is really important.”

He says this also protects the UK from any future global tariffs on the pharmaceutical industry.

Keir Starmer says the merits of today’s trade deal is about whether Britain is in a better position that we were yesterday.

US tariffs on many UK goods have merely been returned to where they were 6 months ago prior to Donald Trump sparking his world trade war.

However in return the UK has slashed tariffs on US goods.

Keir Starmer says he’s still ‘hammering out’ details with the US to further reduce tariffs and barriers between the two economies, and improve jobs and livelihoods in both countries.

Donald Trump told reporters: “I think it’s a great deal for both parties. I didn’t know how closed it was, quite closed as you know the UK, and it opens up a tremendous market for us and works out very well.

“In the first term it was people talking but they wouldn’t get it done. For the past 25 years they were trying to make a deal, a very significant deal… This is a very conclusive deal but we think we can grow it from that. This is a maxed out deal, this is not like you said it, really incorrectly.

“This is a maxed out deal that we’re going to make bigger and we make it bigger through growth… I was surprised to see how big your country is in trade, actually.”

Mr Trump said there would be “changes made and adjustments made” where things could be done “even better”.

Keir Starmer says this week’s deals with the US and India tell the world that Britain is “open for business”.

“We’re sending a message to the world that Britain is open for business. Seeking trade agreements with India on Tuesday, the US today, and boosting trade with partners too including of course the EU with whom we have a really important meeting on Monday.”

“Making deals that will benefit working people.”

He says he negotiated the deal with JLR workers “in my mind’s eye” and wanted to return to the plant to announce today’s deal.

Sir Keir said he wanted to come to the factory to announce today’s ‘economic prosperity deal’ .

He says it will protect British businesses and protect thousands of jobs in Britain.

It will reduce tariffs on British steel and aluminum to 0%.

Will protect life sciences, and granting unprecedented access for British farmers without compromising standards.

He says the deal on cars will cut tariffs from 27% to 10% for 100,000 cars.

“I know how much that will have been weighing on your mind when you knew the size of the tariff that would be in place.”

The US side is already undermining Keir Starmer’s claims that this is a great deal for both sides.

A printed-out slide in the Oval Office boasts that while the US has increased tariffs on the UK from 3.4% to 10%, in return the UK has lowered tariffs from 5.1% to 1.8%.

The trade deal is undoubtedly better than many other countries have, but worse than the situation before Donald Trump launched his trade war a couple of months ago.

Peter Mandelson thanks Donald Trump for his 11th hour intervention, with his late-night phone call to Keir Starmer last night, which took the deal even further at the last minute.

He said that if President Trump wants to ‘rebalance trade’, “it’s better to do that together than separately”.

He thanks Trump for being “true to his word”.

“This isn’t the end, it’s the end of the beginning. There’s more we can do to reduce trade barriers to open up our markets even more than we’ve agreed to do today.”

US Trade secretary says the UK team worked out the way to put US imports on equal footings with other countries we import more from.

The UK car industry will be able to export 100,000 cars to the US each year at 10%.

The US recognises this protects 10,000s of jobs for the UK while not impacting the US sector.

The UK government will work in lockstep with the US government on restoring British steel post-nationalistion.

Rolls Royce engines for US-made Boeing airplanes will be allowed to be imported, but the UK will pay £10bn for those US-made Boeing planes.

Peter Mandelson spotted to the left of Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer says deal is based on fair and balanced relationship, and this deal builds on that.

Cars, steel, manufacturing, aluminum and others are including in the deal.

He says he wants to go further on tech.

Keir Starmer agrees ‘economic security is national security’, and on national security the UK and US have been the closest of friends.

He thanks Donald Trump for his leadership, and says “I’m so pleased we’ve got this deal, we’ve finalised it.”

Sir Keir said: “With this President and this Prime Minister we’ve managed to achieve what many people tried to achieve for many years, and I’m really pleased.”

Sir Keir added: “It’s really good to have got this deal over the line, tribute to both teams, tribute to our countries and tribute to your leadership.”

Donald Trump heaps further praise on Britain and its negotiators.

He says both countries will become stronger with a new steel deal.

He says he and Starmer agree that economic security is national security.

“Once again I want to thank PM Starmer, the special relationship and external and internal bond between our two countries will be better than ever before.”

Mr Trump said: “The US and UK have been working for years to try and make a deal and it never quite got there.

“It did with this Prime Minister, so I want to just congratulate you.”

Donald Trump says the UK economy has been ‘a little closed’ to US goods previously.

He says new plans have been agreed to bring the UK into the economic security alignment with the US, the first country to do so.

He says Britain has been “truly one of our great allies, some people say our greatest ally but I wouldn’t want to insult others.”

Trump says the deal includes billions of increased exports to the UK, including beef, ethanol and “virtually all products made by our great farmers”.

The UK will reduce and eliminate other non-tariff barriers.

He says “this is a great deal for both countries”

Further details of the new US-UK trade deal are beginning to emerge.

It’s rumoured that Donald Trump will cut tariffs on Range Rovers and other UK-made cars to 10%, down from the current 25%.

The reduction will be a 12-month ‘temporary arrangement’ while further trade talks go ahead for a permanent comprehensive trade deal, to be announced in coming months.

Meanwhile Keir Starmer has agreed to slashing tariffs on US beef to near-zero, though the ban on hormone-treated beef will remain.

The Vice President JD Vance has arrived at the White House, suggesting the press conference is imminent

Delayed journalistas and the Prime Minister have finally arrived at the Solihull venue for his big US trade deal speech.

Word is Trump’s press conference may not kick off for another 20 minutes.

Donald Trump’s press conference has been delayed while the White House and No. 10 try and work out a way to patch Keir Starmer in remotely from half way across the world.

It sounds like Downing Street was bounced into today’s announcement by the US, so planning has proved very last minute.

Journalists heading to watch the Prime Minister’s speech on the trade deal have had a chaotic few hours, after No. 10 sent them to the wrong address!

The Express’ David Williamson was sent, along with everyone else, to a factory in Coventry.

However upon arriving they discovered they are actually meant to be at the company’s sister factory 30 minutes away.

The press lobby is now rushing to the correct location in minicabs, hoping to arrive in time.

Britain’s ambassador in Washington, Peter Mandelson, will accompany Donald Trump in the Oval Office when he makes his announcement about the trade deal shortly.

The Telegraph reveals the final details of the deal were still being hammered out late last night.

Boris Johnson has hailed Brexit as the reason for the new trade deal between the UK and the US.

The former prime minister and ardent Brexiteer said Britain would not have been able to strike the pact if it were still part of Brussels.

Mr Johnson told GB News: “Brexit is certainly responsible because we wouldn’t have been able to do this deal individually with the United States if we weren’t outside the European Union. That’s for ding-dang sure.”

As the tariff deal approaches, with it almost being 10:00 in Washington and 15:00 in London, here are the major developments so far:

The UK currently faces a blanket 10% tariff on all goods to the US and has been hit with 25% tariffs on steel, aluminium and car exports to the US.

The US and UK are expected to announce a deal to reduce tariffs between both countries.

The White House will announce further details at 10:00 local time (15:00 BST), ahead of a statement from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Although the terms of the agreement have remained under wraps, Trump has said it will be “full and comprehensive” and today would be “big and exciting”.

Downing Street refused to comment on this claim but insisted it would not “lower British food standards”.

Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey welcomed the news, saying it would help “reduce uncertainty” but the UK is still “affected” by tariffs on other economies.

The deal could include the possible removal of US tariffs or the UK lowering its digital services tax on US firms

Stick with us for live updates and announcements

When asked whether the relationship with the European Union was more important than the US, Rachel Reeves said: “We shouldn’t choose between countries.

“The UK is an open trading economy, open for trade, open for business, open for investment.”

She said reducing trade barriers would be “good for living standards, good for businesses and jobs here in Britain”.

The Chancellor told reporters: “There’s an incredibly strong trade and investment link between the UK and the US.

“A million Brits work for American firms and a million Americans work for British firms. I was out in the States just a couple of weeks ago meeting the administration and the Prime Minister will have more to say about the future trading relationship between the UK and the US later today.”

Farmers will be watching today’s trade announcement closely and apprehensively.

Despite previous assurances by the government that imports of chlorinated chicken or hormone-treated beef will not be allowed into the UK, it is uncertain on what is to come of this trade deal for farmers.

Those producing food have long said they should not be made to compete with cheap imports that have been produced to lower standards of animal welfare, environmental protection or food safety.

And it’s not just chicken and beef they are worried about.

The National Pig Association has raised concerns over what it sees as a “significant gap” in terms of production methods that are acceptable in the US compared to the UK. That includes the use of sow stalls in the US, narrow crates that house sows throughout their pregnancy, that have been banned in the UK since 1999.

NPA chair Rob Mutimer said higher welfare standards in the UK means the cost of production here is “substantially more expensive” than that in the USA.

The call to protect those standards in a US trade deal is backed by campaigners, including Compassion in World Farming, which said if “a product is too cruel to produce here, it must also be too cruel to import”.

Meanwhile, NFU President Tom Bradshaw insisted any trade deal that opens UK markets to US produce should also ensure reciprocal access for UK farmers and growers there.

He says a deal that offers in return “nothing more than the reduction or removal of tariffs which did not exist eight weeks ago would be an unimaginable failure”.

The deal that is expected to be announced would be “full and comprehensive,” has not been commented on by the UK government.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We’ve always been clear that we want to do a deal that’s in the British national interest, and support a substantial UK-US trading relationship.

“Those talks are continuing and we look forward to providing an update later today.”

Downing Street insisted that lowering food standards remained a “red line” for any US trade deal.

“We are not going to lower British food standards. That’s something set out in the manifesto,” the spokesman said.

There’s huge interest in the White House’s first trade deal as a small trickle of reporters starts to file into the Oval Office for his announcement soon.

The interest is both domestic and international as a result of the Mr Trump’s ttariff campaign.

Reporters from as far as Andorra and Sweden are conducting live interviews and filing reports.

Andrew Bailey welcomed the news of the UK and US trade deal calling it ‘excellent’.

He said it was “excellent that the UK is leading the way” with an expected trade deal with the US, which will “help to reduce uncertainty”.

He warned that Britain is a “very open economy” and as a result he hoped any deal announced today would be the first of many, as Britain is “affected by the way tariffs affect other economies”.

The head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) which represents about 50,000 businesses in the UK, says the US-UK trade deal will be met with a “huge sigh of relief” by many British businesses.

“Firms will want to see a reduction in the 25% tariffs that have hit our steel, aluminium and automotive industries and left them reeling,” William Bain says.

Bain adds that businesses will also want certainty about the new deal and when it will offer relief from tariffs.

“Inevitably, the deal will involve compromise, but firms will want it to be in the best overall interests of the UK,” he says. “This must also not be the end of the process, we must continue to push the argument for free and fair trade.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will take the credit for a US trade deal hailed by Donald Trump as “a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come”.

But behind the scenes much of the hard work was carried out by Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and a little-known civil servant who may have saved tens of thousands of jobs in the UK car industry.

Find out more here.

There is a possibility that the British government will reduce its tax on US digital services as part of the deal to reduce tariffs.

Introduced in April 2020, under the then Conservative government, the digital service tax was aimed to make oversea tech firms accountable for financial value, contributed by UK users.

It charges businesses that run social media, search engines or online marketplaces a flat 2% rate tax on revenues derived from UK users.

Firms only have to pay it if they raise more than £500m in global revenues and £25m from UK users annually.

But this is a threshold easily met by US tech titans, such as Meta, Google, Apple and Amazon, raising billions annually worldwide each year.

The UK reportedly netted nearly £360m from American tech firms via the tax in its first year.

In weighing up whether to make the concession, the UK will have had to consider several competing pressures – such as its drive to raise revenue and further growth with the political risk of being seen to concede to big tech, or President Trump.

Now, we await to see whether it is set to be narrowed in the US-UK tariffs agreement which will be unveiled this afternoon.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said today’s decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points is “welcome news”.

She said: “This interest rate cut is welcome news, and the fourth since we came into government making it cheaper for businesses to borrow, reducing the cost of a new mortgage, making homeownership more accessible, car finance more affordable and easing the pressure on those paying off personal loans.”

“But there is more to do, and I know families are still facing cost of living pressures. In a changing world we’re bringing stability to the public finances and going further and faster to grow the economy, putting more money in the pockets of working people through our Plan for Change.”

When The Prime Minister’s official spokesman was questioned on whether the timing of the US-UK trade announcement was a surprise, he said: “As you know, we have been progressing this deal over the last few weeks and months, and officials have been in the US progressing these talks over the last few days as well.”

“We’ve obviously been working at pace to do the deal, and to do a deal that is in British national interests.”

Responding to the suggestion it was “odd” that the announcement had come on VE Day, he said: “We’ve been having these discussions for weeks. Both sides have to be ready to come to discussions. There will be an update from the Prime Minister later today.”

Downing Street did not comment on Donald Trump’s claim that the UK had agreed a “full and comprehensive” trade deal with the US.

Asked whether this was the case, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “You’ve got his words and we’ve always been clear that we want to do a deal that’s in the British national interest, and support a substantial UK-US trading relationship.

“Those talks are continuing and we look forward to providing an update later today, when you will have the PM’s words to describe it.”

Labour MP Helen Hayes broke the two minute silence for VE Day with this tweet about a renters’ union in her constituency.

In a post on X, he said: “As the nation falls silent at midday, my thoughts are with all those who fought to defend our freedom and values, both on the frontline and at home.”

“Today and always, we thank them for their service.”

The Prime Minister’s has agreed to concessions on American food including beef imports and agriculture to ease tariffs on car exports, reports have suggested.

The deal, which is expected to be announced by US President Donald Trump at 3 pm UK time, will see an end to the 25% tariff on steel and cars with pharmaceuticals tariffs to be exempted down the line.

Negotiations on reducing the US-imposed 10% tariffs across all sectors are expected to be continued in the near future.

Today marks the day the allies accepted Nazi Germany’s surrender in the war in Europe in 1945.

With the 80th anniversary today, politicians arrived at Westminster Abbey to mark the moment.

Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Rishi Sunak are among the attendees.

Donald Trump’s second Truth Social post read: “The agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come.

“Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honour to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement. Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!”

Commons Leader Lucy Powell has said food standards are a “red line” for the Government in trade negotiations with the US.

Conservative MP for The Wrekin Mark Pritchard said: “Can I welcome the UK-US trade deal, and congratulate the Prime Minister on that deal. It’s very much in the national interest, although, of course, the devil is in the detail.

“But could we have a debate on the concerns of British farmers around that trade deal – chlorinated chicken, hormone-fed beef and, of course, antibiotics in pig farming. So can the minister assure the House, assure Shropshire farmers and British farmers that British agriculture is safe with this trade deal?”

Ms Powell replied: “These issues are still unfolding, but he’s absolutely right to praise the work of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade for the amazing work that they’ve done to get us to this point today, but he will be aware that the issues that he raises of food standards and agriculture have been red lines for this Government in those trade talks, and he will get the details later today.”

UK ministers have “red lines” in trade with the US, Environment Secretary Steve Reed has said in commons.

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Tim Farron asked: “Has the Secretary of State been consulted by the Prime Minister (Sir Keir Starmer) over the potential impact on British farmers of the US-UK trade deal?

“US animal welfare standards as a matter of fact are worse than ours, which means that import costs are less, and so to allow equal access is not free trade, it is unfair trade, and throwing our farmers under the bus just like the Conservatives did in their deal with Australia and New Zealand.

“So, will he support Liberal Democrat calls for this deal to only be signed if it supports farmers, and after a vote from this House?”

Mr Reed replied at the despatch box: “Of course, there have been no announcements yet so I won’t be able to pre-empt what those might be, but we have been crystal clear – we have red lines in this.

“We will not be allowing British farmers to be undercut on environmental or welfare standards in the way that the Conservatives did when they agreed a trade deal with Australia that undercut British farmers and caused immense damage to them.

“We will never go the way of the Tories. We will stand four-square behind our farmers and I’m delighted to hear the Liberal Democrats feel the same.”

A news press conference today will reiterate the US president’s Truth Social post where he declared today should be “a very big and exciting day for the US and the UK.”

It will take place at the Oval Office at 3pm.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said he hoped the Government had agreed a good trade deal with the US but the “devil is always in the detail”.

The shadow defence secretary told Sky News: “In principle of course in our party we want to see a strong trading relationship with what you are right to describe as our close ally, the United States, closest military ally, economic partner.

“But as you know the devil is always in the detail and we will await those details as they arise.”

Sir Keir Starmer said he would “always act in our national interest” and “deliver security and renewal for our country” as he discussed an impending announcement on trade talks with the US.

In a speech at the London Defence Conference on Thursday, the Prime Minister said: “As you know, talks with the US have been ongoing and you’ll hear more from me about that later today.

“But make no mistake, I will always act in our national interest, for workers, businesses and families, to deliver security and renewal for our country.”

Keir Starmer will only admit it through gritted teeth, but the US-UK trade deal, to be announced later today, was made easier because of the B-words. Boris and Brexit.

Read Express Political Editor Martyn Brown’s full anaysis here

Number 10 had been expecting the announcement of a deal, but the timing of Mr Trump’s post came as a surprise, given Sir Keir was due to focus on VE Day commemorations on Thursday.

Washington is close to agreeing trade deals with India and Israel, according to reports.

The administration is also continuing talks with several other countries including Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Trump has said he wants nations to strike new deals with the US as he tries to radically reshape the global trading system.

Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said: “Parliament must be given a vote on this US trade deal so it can be properly scrutinised.

“A good trade deal with the US could bring huge benefits, but Liberal Democrats are deeply concerned that it may include measures that threaten our NHS, undermine our farmers or give tax cuts to US tech billionaires.

“If the government is confident the agreement it has negotiated with Trump is in Britain’s national interest, it should not be afraid to bring it before MPs.”

The Government has been pursuing a deal with the US to reduce the impact of sweeping tariffs imposed by Mr Trump last month, which placed a 10% levy on all UK exports and a 25% charge on steel, aluminium and cars.

If Mr Trump does announce a deal with the UK, it will be the first agreement since he announced the tariffs on April 2.

Reports have previously suggested a deal could see the UK reduce some tariffs on American products, as well as changing the digital services tax that currently affects mainly US tech companies.

Marking the anniversary of VE Day, Sir Keir Starmer has said: “Their victory will always be one of our finest hours.

“Today we come together to celebrate those who fought for our freedom.”

Trade talks with the US have been “continuing at pace” and the Prime Minister will provide an update “later today”, a Number 10 spokeswoman has said.

No10 said: “PM will always act in Britain’s national interest – for workers, for business, for families. The US is an indispensable ally for both our economic and national security. Talks on a deal between our countries have been continuing at pace and the PM will update later today.”

Shortly after the report about a possible deal, the value of the British pound rose by 0.4% against the US dollar.

Reports have suggested the US-UK deal is a “heads of terms” agreement rather than the full thing but still substantive.

The UK on Tuesday announced it had come to terms on a trade deal with India, which will mean dramatic tariff reductions on scotch whisky and car exports to India.

Levies on aerospace, electricals and other food products will also fall under the agreement, while UK consumers are expected to benefit from tariffs being reduced on some Indian goods such as clothing imported to the country.

Announcing the deal, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “We are now in a new era for trade and the economy. That means going further and faster to strengthen the UK’s economy, putting more money in working people’s pockets.”

He added: “Today we have agreed a landmark deal with India – one of the fastest growing economies in the world, which will grow the economy and deliver for British people and business.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a “historic milestone” and an “ambitious and mutually beneficial” trade agreement that will “catalyse trade, investment, growth, job creation, and innovation in both our economies”.

It’s a busy day in politics today with all eyes on Donald Trump’s Oval Office for a major announcement later today. If the US President strikes a trade deal, it would mark the first agreed after Mr Trump’s “liberation day” announcement of sweeping tariffs last month.

It is also the 80pth annniversary of VE Day today when the nation will pay tribute to its wartime heroes with events taking place around the country.