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Hello, I'm Sean Curran, and this is today in Parliament from BBC Radio 4 for Thursday the 8th of May,

when, after a long wait, a business minister told MPs about a trade deal with the United States.

First and foremost, this deal will protect UK jobs, while laying the groundwork for increased

transatlantic trade and investment. But the Conservatives aren't so sure. From the little the

government has shared, it's clear that the deal doesn't go anything like far enough.

It's a Diet Coke deal, not the real thing.

Also tonight, a peer talks about her family's experience of mental health services on the NHS.

My son kept repeatedly being given video and phone appointments,

even though I kept saying I want him to be seen in person.

But first, the news that the UK and the United States had agreed a trade deal broke overnight when President Trump said he would announce a major agreement at a news conference in the White House.

This afternoon, the Prime Minister, who was visiting a Jaguar Land Rover plant in the West Midlands,

joined Mr Trump on a conference call and described the accord as truly historic.

Here at Westminster, MPs spent most of the day waiting for a statement about the deal.

It was just after 5 o'clock when the trade minister, Douglas Alexander, appeared at the dispatch box.

At this relatively late hour, the government would now suggest respectfully to you that it would

be more courteous to the House to be able to provide all members on Monday the opportunity for

a full statement. The common speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, was unimpressed.

I understand that people were going round, telling people to go home,

as there'll be no statement.

As Downey Street had decided, we don't do business like this.

...