Older, wiser Mandy will be an artful 'Trump whisperer'

Peter Mandelson warned last month that the UK's handling of Donald Trump 2.0 will be a "transactional rollercoaster ride".

- ANDREW GRICE

Now, at the age of 71, he is climbing on board the rollercoaster to become UK ambassador in Washington.

Keir Starmer wanted a heavyweight and, very unusually, a politician rather than a diplomat – but didn’t have to twist Mandelson’s arm; he coveted this most testing of jobs.

Not everyone wanted him, however. Foreign Office officials preferred one of their own and the safe option on Starmer’s desk was to extend the term of Karen Pierce, the current ambassador. She impressed Starmer by helping him forge links with Trump, despite the previous scathing criticism of the president-elect by senior ministers including David Lammy, the foreign secretary (who backed Mandelson’s appointment).

In Mandelson’s favour was his closeness to Starmer’s two most influential advisers: Morgan McSweeney, the chief of staff, and Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister.

Starmer wanted a heavy-hitter and judged that Mandelson’s credentials as a former UK business and trade secretary and EU trade commissioner were unrivalled. He knows the art of the deal. Three other senior Labour figures – David Miliband, Cathy Ashton and Valerie Amos – were also on Starmer’s shortlist. They were seen as safe to appoint if Kamala Harris had become president, but Mandelson ticked the Trump box better than they did.