Trump has ‘iron-clad’ stomach for political risk: UK ambassador Peter Mandelson

British Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson praised President Trump for having an “iron-clad” stomach when taking political risks, arguing that Brexit has allowed the U.K. to forge closer ties with the U.S. 

“The President may not follow the traditional rulebook or conventional practice, but he is a risk-taker in a world where a ‘business as usual’ approach no longer works,” Mandelson said in a keynote speech at The Ditchley Park on Saturday. 

“Indeed, he seems to have an iron-clad stomach for political risk, both at home and abroad,” the diplomat added. “Convening other nations and intervening in conflicts that other presidents would have thought endlessly about before descending into an analysis paralysis and gradual incrementalism.”

Mandelson, who was tapped by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as the U.K.’s top diplomat in Washington late last year, has made inroads with the administration since crossing the Atlantic, helping the U.K. strike the first trade deal with the U.S.

The ambassador said on Saturday that Brexit has “freed” the U.K. to “pursue closer US ties.”  

“Britain has the opportunity to use its regulatory freedom and independence from European law to deepen American investment opportunities. This is crucial as, post-Brexit, we need to leverage every advantage we can to spur UK growth and employment,” Mandelson said. 

Mandelson credits Trump’s political instincts in “identifying the anxieties gripping not only millions of Americans, but also far more pervasive Western trends: economic stagnation for many, a sense of irreversible decline, the lost promise of meaningful work.” 

Mandelson’s remarks come ahead of Trump’s first visit to the U.K since returning to the White House earlier this year. He is expected to visit from Sept. 17 to Sept. 19, The Associated Press reported.