Much speculation has centred on Lord (Peter) Mandelson, a man who is close to the current prime minister as well as the last two Labour premiers. His reputation for practising the dark arts goes before him, and he’d be an interesting choice, but some reports suggest that he fancies being the next chancellor of the University of Oxford. Also, he has competition...
Who’s in the running?
Well, aside from Mandelson – a former cabinet minister and EU trade commissioner – we have some other well-qualified “leftleaning” types. David Miliband was the last Labour foreign secretary before the appointment of David Lammy, and is, like Mandelson, something of a Blairite veteran, if not an icon.
He’s been busy with the International Rescue Committee, a charity based in Washington DC, so at least he’d not have to move far, and he might like another career change, having half given up on politics when his brother Ed narrowly beat him to secure the Labour leadership in 2010.
Another choice might be Baroness (Cathy) Ashton – a bit more obscure, but no less New Labour than the others. She served as EU foreign affairs commissioner from 2009 to 2014. At least as effective as any of these would be Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to Tony Blair, who before that served as a professional British diplomat – a role that included a stint in Washington.
Who’s not in the running?
This story is from the August 29, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the August 29, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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