Boris Johnson: Collective whinge-o-rama over Trump must end
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who previously branded Donald Trump as "unfit to hold the office of President of the United States" has urged people to stop their "collective whinge-o-rama" about the tycoon's election victory.
Johnson told reporters in Serbia that "people should focus on the opportunities... and not the problems".
His tone is markedly different to that when he, as Mayor of London, described Trump's claim that parts of the capital are a no-go areas due to radicalised Islam as "stupefying ignorance".
He later quipped: "The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump."
He is the latest British politician to launch a charm offensive since Trump's astonishing victory, in stark contrast to previous comments.
As recently as March, Johnson said he was "genuinely worried" about Trump becoming president and described being mistaken for him in New York as "one of the worst moments".
But on Thursday, Johnson spoke to Vice President-elect Mike Pence and said Trump has spoken of a "spectacular relationship" with the UK and "wants to sign a free trade deal".
His election "is a great opportunity for us in the UK to build a better relationship with America that is of fundamental economic importance for us, but also of great importance for the stability and prosperity of the world", the Foreign Secretary said.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who spoke to the President-elect on Thursday has also had to skirt around her previous description of Mr Trump's Muslim ban idea as "divisive, unhelpful and wrong".
She has faced criticism from opposition politicians, who are mostly horrified at Mr Trump's election, for not following the lead of Angela Merkel.
The German chancellor pointedly offered to work with Trump on the basis of shared values of "democracy, freedom, respect for the law and for the dignity of human beings, independent of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views".