US president Donald Trump has criticised Theresa May’s handling of Brexit negotiations, saying he is surprised at “how badly” the UK is doing.

Trump said that he had given the Prime Minister advice but that she had not followed it.

“It’s a very complex thing right now, it’s tearing a country apart, it’s actually tearing a lot of countries apart and it’s a shame it has to be that way but I think we will stay right in our lane,” the president said.

“I’m surprised at how badly it has all gone from a stand point of negotiations but I gave the Prime Minister my ideas of how to negotiate it, she didn’t listen to that and that’s fine but it could have been negotiated in a different manner.”

He added: “The EU has been very tough to deal with and frankly it’s been very one-sided for many years so we are changing that around.”

On the prospect of another referendum, Trump said: “I don’t think another vote would be possible because it would be very unfair to the people that won. They’d say ‘What do you mean, you’re going to take another vote?’ So that would be tough. I thought it would happen, it did happen, and both sides are very, very cemented in.”