Lord Peter Mandelson, Britain's ambassador to Washington, has warned the UK cannot take its "special relationship" with the United States for granted. The former New Labour minister told a gathering at the Ditchley Foundation that the country cannot afford to show any "complacency" over Donald Trump's "instinctive warmth" towards Britain.
Speaking at the charity focused on transatlantic relations, Mandelson said: "Like it or not, our US partnership has become indispensable to the functioning of our nation. Beyond President Trump's instinctive warmth towards Britain - and it's real - we cannot simply take it for granted that the breadth of this, and of future US administrations, will see the value of the special relationship in the way that we do."
The former minister, who was a staunch Remainer during the EU referendum, painted Brexit as a liberating force that has allowed Britain to pursue closer ties with America. He said: "Britain has the opportunity to use its regulatory freedom and independence from European law to deepen American investment opportunities."
Steel tariffs remain sticking point
Mandelson's praise for Trump comes at a delicate time as UK officials seek to secure a carve-out on tariffs for British steel, which remain at 25 percent. This is despite a trade deal agreed between Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) and Trump earlier this year which slashed levies on a number of other goods.
The comments follow a holiday visit by vice-president JD Vance to the Cotswolds this summer and come amid preparations for the US president's state visit to the UK later this month. Meanwhile, newly appointed Business Secretary Peter Kyle is due to visit China for trade talks following a trip to Washington early next week.
Balancing China and US relations
Mandelson emphasised that the US "needs Europe strong and close enough to counterbalance Chinese power and that of its autocratic allies". He praised Trump's approach to deterrence, saying: "Trump understands the positive coercive power of traditional American deterrence - deterring adversaries through a blend of strength and strategic unpredictability, as we saw in his decisive action on Iran's nuclear programme."
The ambassador stressed it was "vital that we demonstrate to the next tier of US political leadership and to the next Republican and Democrat generations, exactly how UK partnerships in economics, technology and security deliver tangible value for Americans and Brits alike".
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
