Liz Truss latest: Prime Minister admits US free trade talks will not resume for years

Liz Truss has described feeling “hugely honoured” that one of the Queen’s “last acts” was formally asking her to become prime minister.

She praised the “huge outpouring of love and affection” for the late monarch and recognised the “huge amount of warmth towards” her successor King Charles.

Ms Truss was speaking as she flew to New York for a United Nations summit after attending the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

The Queen’s death came two days after she formally appointed Ms Truss as Boris Johnson’s successor during a meeting in Balmoral Castle.

In an interview with reporters, Ms Truss said: “It has been a momentous period and a period of great grief and sadness in the United Kingdom, and I think you have seen a huge outpouring of love and affection for her late majesty as well as a huge amount of warmth towards King Charles III.

“Today at the funeral we saw such huge public support and I have also seen that from world leaders who have come to London in unprecedented numbers.

“From my own point of view, I am hugely honoured to have been invited to form a government by Her Majesty the Queen in one of her last acts.

“Since then, I have had two audiences with His Majesty and what I have seen is a huge outpouring of public warmth and support for him and for the whole royal family.”

Liz Truss sought to strike a conciliatory tone ahead of meeting with Emmanuel Macron, despite declining to say whether she believes the French president is a “friend or foe”.

The prime minister stressed the need for a “constructive relationship” combatting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and unauthorised migrant crossings of the Channel in small boats.

The comments ahead of meeting Mr Macron at a United Nations summit in New York on Tuesday appeared to mark a softening of tone following post-Brexit tensions on Northern Ireland and fishing rights.

However, officials noted the remarks to reporters flying with Ms Truss came on the day of the Queen’s funeral, shortly after a period of subdued politics.

Ms Truss sparked a diplomatic row during the Tory leadership contest when she declined to give a clear answer when asked if the president of the allied nation was a “friend or foe”.

Liz Truss has conceded that negotiations for a post-Brexit free trade deal with the US will not restart for years as she flew to New York ahead of a meeting with Joe Biden.

The prime minister stressed her trade priority is striking agreements with India and the Gulf states, and joining a trade pact with nations including Australia and Japan.

But she heavily downplayed the chances of talks even resuming to get the comprehensive deal with the States that was billed by Brexit backers as a major benefit of leaving the EU during the referendum.

Ms Truss, a former Brexit opponent who has switched to becoming a supporter, said the deals with Delhi and other allies are “our trade priorities” ahead of talks with the US president at a United Nations summit on Wednesday.

Read the full story below from our policy correspondent, Jon stone:

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live politics coverage. The period of national mourning has ended in the UK after Queen’s state funeral on Monday and Liz Truss travelled to New York for her first foreign trip as prime minister, where she will hold talks with Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron.