Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as Britain's ambassador to Washington was slammed on Friday by one of Donald Trump's top campaign officials, who told the veteran UK politician to “stay home”.
Chris LaCivita, a Republican political strategist who coordinated Trump's successful presidential campaign this year, called Mandelson's previous criticism of Trump “dangerous to the world” and “close to white nationalist”.
“This UK government is exceptional,” he wrote in X. “Replace the world-respected Ambo with a mindless lunatic – he should stay at home ! HOT!”
The post came just minutes after UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed he had chosen Mandelson to replace Dame Karen Pierce, known as “Trump's Whisperer” for her work building relationships with the incoming president.
Mandelson's appointment ends weeks of uncertainty by Starmer over whether to send a British political heavyweight to join the incoming administration and try to fend off the threat of US tariffs.
Some inside the British Foreign Office urged the prime minister to stick with Pierce, but Starmer's allies said the prime minister ultimately believed the case was too heavy to send a senior figure to Washington, given Mandelson's experience in trade affairs.
“It wasn't a slam dunk,” said one person close to the process. “The prime minister took his time. There were some in the program who wanted Karen to continue. That was another option.”
Mandelson, a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, is a media and political activist, dating back to his days as Labor communications chief in the 1980s when he was known as the “Prince of Darkness”.
“He's a big name,” said one official close to the selectmen. “You can do Fox News and other TV channels and it's a big part of the job. He's in a league of his own.”
But his extensive media record is also a risk. In a 2019 interview he called Trump “a little short of white supremacy and racism” and said that even people who are “grateful for sneaking in” to the incoming president consider him “reckless and a danger to the world”.
Mandelson, a former EU trade commissioner, also employed his trade expertise, with an immediate order from Starmer to drop the threat that Britain would be targeted as part of Trump's proposed tariffs of 10-20 percent on global trade.
“There is no reason for Britain to be looked at so soon,” said one person close to Starmer. “Peter's priority is to design a 21st century economic and services agreement, but that will be a medium-term goal.”
Earlier talks about a free trade agreement between the two nations have broken down over food standards – the UK is banning chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-laced beef.
Starmer briefly considered competing candidates earlier this year, notably former Labor foreign secretary David Miliband and former EU foreign policy chief Lady Cathy Ashton, but they were quickly rejected.
“For a long time it was 'Peter or not Peter,'” said one Downing Street insider. I haven't heard any other word mentioned in the 'or not' category in recent months. I don't know why it took so long.”
Mandelson is close to Starmer but not in his inner circle. The would-be diplomat was less than diplomatic earlier this year when he suggested Starmer “lose a few pounds”.
The 71-year-old man has been a source of controversy over the years. As a minister she was forced to resign twice from the Blair government and her previous links with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light last year.
Last month, Mandelson suggested that Starmer should use UK Reform leader Nigel Farage as a “bridgehead” to build relationships with Trump and Elon Musk. “Did Peter really say that?” asked one Starmer aide at the time.
His seven-year tenure as president of the Great Britain China Institute, a non-departmental Foreign Office agency, has made him the target of conservative China hawks and is unlikely to be overlooked in Trump's party.
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, said: “His public position and his private position in China are very appalling.” He noted that Mandelson was the only Labor peer to vote against legislation targeting China's “genocide” in Xinjiang.
After the vote, Mandelson told his colleagues that “the definition of general genocide in the formulation of foreign policy” would be too complicated and would be difficult to apply, leaving the government's hands tied.
Those close to Starmer say the prime minister wants to wait until Jonathan Powell, the national security adviser, and Morgan McSweeney, the Downing Street chief of staff, meet with Trump's team earlier this month before making a final decision.
During this hiatus, some officials at the State Office pressed Pierce, who took up his post in Washington in 2020, to stay on, at least for a year. “He has a very good relationship with the Trump team — it was a choice,” one administration official said.
But that was only seen as a solution to stop the gap. One diplomat said: “He couldn't go on forever. She is now in contention to become the first female permanent secretary of the Foreign Office.
While Starmer delayed, a formidable coalition of supporters formed behind Mandelson, including David Lammy, the foreign secretary, Powell and McSweeney.
One government official agreed: “Keir likes to take his time in making these decisions. “He did the same thing by choosing a new cabinet secretary and national security adviser. But in the end, Peter's case was clear.”
Starmer acknowledged that having a big name and political career would help open doors with Trump's team. “They will like the fact that Peter has a reputation for integrity,” said one Foreign Office official.
Mandelson's belief that Britain can “have its cake and eat it” by promoting better trade relations at the same time with Washington, Brussels and Beijing echoes the view Starmer outlined in his foreign policy speech at the Guildhall earlier this month.
Starmer said on Friday: “Peter will bring unrivaled experience to the role and take our partnership (with the US) from strength to strength.” Lammy said it was “great to welcome Peter back to the team”.
Mandelson, founder of the Global Counsel consultancy group, said: “It is a great honor to serve the country in this way.” He told friends he would put his business interests in “cold storage” while he was at his new job.
Lord Kim Darroch, the UK's ambassador to Washington during Trump's first presidency, said most diplomats would accept the charge of installing a political employee in the Edwin Lutyens-designed embassy at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue.
He told the FT: “These are turbulent and fragile times. It's not just about Trump 2 but about Ukraine, China and NATO. In these cases it is good to have someone who can pick up the phone and PM. “
It was a good end to the year for Mandelson, following his disappointment last month when he was beaten by Lord William Hague in the games. mastery Oxford University.
On Monday he was in hospital undergoing surgery for an aneurysm in the lower aorta, which friends said was “absolutely successful”. His new position in Washington is expected to begin in early 2025.