Britain must be careful in seeking a trade deal with the US as the EU would see us as Donald Trump’s poodle.

The warning came from University of Essex legal expert Steve Peers during a public Question Time- style debate at the university on Britain after Brexit.

The professor of EU and Human Rights law also told the audience differences with the US over NATO and other issues meant “allying with Trump could be awkward”.

And he warned a trade deal may also see the health sector deregulated or sold off.

The admittedly pro-remain professor also said: “Trump’s impact on the world is massive. The EU is not going to see us as a go between. The EU will see us as a poodle.”

This contrasted with Brexiteer Dr Warwick Lightfoot of the think tank Policy Exchange who said Britain’s future after Brexit would be enhanced.

The UK would still be in the UN, NATO, the G20 and would retake its seat on the World Trade Organisation.

He said: “The PM says we have an open free trade global agenda.”

However, the university’s own political expert Dr Tom Quinn said he expected little change after Brexit. “Britain has always been an outward looking country, looking beyond Europe.”

The several hundred staff, students and members of the public also heard familiar arguments on Brexit.

Dr Jonathan Portes, from Kings College, London, said Britain’s EU and single market membership had boosted the size of the economy by eight to ten per cent and he said Brexit would leave Britain somewhat poorer.

He also warned Brexit halving migration from the EU would harm the economy.

However, Dr Quinn noted the public saw how large scale rapid migration from poorer Eastern Europe had impacted on public services like education, health and housing.

He added migration was a driver for Vote Leave and led to the UKIP surge, which the political class felt it had to respond to.

He said: “For the first time people were able to see the supremacy of EU law over British Law. The first opportunity they had, they voted to leave the EU.”

Polls of the audience saw those optimistic of Britain’s post-Brexit future rising from 25 per cent to 33 per cent.

Debate chairman Dr Tom Cornford concluded: “Our economists have presented to us that Brexit is not so bad.”