US presidents statement comes as Nigel Farage says Brexit campaign needs a fresh start and Theresa May asked to block Marine Le Pen visit.

Barack Obama has warned Britains voters that it could take up to a decade to strike a trade deal with the United States from outside the European Union.

At the end of a three-day visit during which he celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday with a lunch at Windsor Castle, Obama said it was wrong for Brexit campaigners to suggest it would be straightforward to agree a new trade relationship if Britain left the EU.

It could be five years from now, 10 years from now before we’re actually able to get something done, he told the BBC, adding that the first priority for the US would be to complete ongoing talks on a trade deal with the EU.

Obama defended his right to express an opinion, saying: “I don’t anticipate that anything I’ve said will change the position of those who are leading the campaigns in one direction or the other, but for ordinary voters I thought it would be relevant to hear what the president of the United States, who loves the British people and cares deeply about this relationship, has to say.”

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/24/leave-campaign-obama-trade-warning-eu-referendum