Former Oxford Chancellor candidate, Peter Mandelson, is expected to be the UK’s next ambassador to the US, following an appointment from Keir Starmer.
During the race for the Chancellorship, Mandelson previously strenuously denied involvement with the ambassadorial role. Asked about connections with the ambassador role in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Mandelson said “I read about it in the papers but nobody has spoken to me about it, so let’s put it to one side.” Mandelson has been linked to the role since questions were raised about the successor of Dame Karen Piece, whose term in Washington is set to end early next year. Later, at a fireside chat hosted by the Oxford IR Soc, Mandelson admitted that he could do both the Oxford Chancellor and Ambassador to the US roles.
Mandelson was eliminated from the Chancellor race in the second round of votes, falling behind Lady Angiolini, Baroness Royall, and the eventual winner Lord Hague. He was criticised for using Oxford email addresses to canvas potential voters during the campaign. His opponent, Baroness Jan Royall, expressed her disdain for Mandelson’s campaign method, remarking that it reflected “different value judgements”.
Mandelson’s work heading the UK’s foreign relations with the US will largely be shaped by the character of the incoming protectionist, volatile leadership in the White House. Negotiating a new trading relationship with the US will likely be Mandelson’s main priority. Trump has warned of blanket tariffs on European goods, jeopardising the UK’s export market to its largest trading partner. Mandelson spoke concernedly that the UK’s ‘special relationship’ with the US could decay into a “transactional rollercoaster ride”.
Trump’s values are far off Mandelson’s. Trump rejects the type of international cooperation and global leadership that has long characterised Mandelson’s diplomatic work. Indeed, Trump’s British political allegiance is to Mandelson’s enemies: the MAGA crowd is set to bankroll Nigel Farage’s Reform movement with a record-breaking £100 million donation.
Mandelson’s previous work as an EU trade commissioner may qualify him to handle the diplomatic challenges. As a political insider, he has strong connections to key power players in Number 10. He is a close ally of Downing Street Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeny and has the support of Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
For more insight on Mandelson’s foreign outlook, read Eric Balonwu’s piece for The Oxford Blue on Mandelson’s words at the Oxford International Relations Society.
Update: Peter Mandelson has since been officially appointed to the ambassador role by Keir Starmer, who praised his “unrivalled experience”. Mandelson looks to find “new opportunities, both for our economy and our nation’s security, and to advance our historic alliance with the United States”