Lord Mandelson has officially been appointed UK ambassador to the US (Image: Getty)
Peter Mandelson said he is honoured to have been chosen to be the UK’s next ambassador to the US.
The Labour Grandee said there are “big opportunities” for Britain in the United States.
Lord Mandelson served in multiple ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before taking up a life peerage in the Lords, and was considered to be one of the frontrunners for the position.
Dubbed the “Prince of Darkness” during his years as New Labour’s spin doctor, the 71-year-old will now be the key link between the prime minister and ‘s incoming administration during a crucial time for US-UK diplomacy.
“It is a great honour to serve the country in this way,” he said in a statement after the role was officially announced.
“We face challenges in Britain but also big opportunities and it will be a privilege to work with the government to land those opportunities, both for our economy and our nation’s security, and to advance our historic alliance with the United States.”
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He will take up the position, currently held by Dame Karen Pierce, early next year.
Like other senior Labour figures, Lord Mandelson has a record of criticising , once describing him as “little short of a white nationalist and racist”.
In a recently unearthed interview with an Italian journalist in 2019, Lord Mandelson described Trump as a “reckless and a danger to the world”.
“What represents and believes is anathema to mainstream British opinion and the idea that as a result of , we have to kowtow to an American president who holds those views will outrage people in Britain,” he added.
In a 2018 interview with the Evening Standard, he also called Trump “a bully” who thinks “the US will gain in trade only when others are losing”.
Prime Minister said: “I am delighted to appoint Lord Mandelson to be the next British Ambassador to the United States of America.
“The United States is one of our most important allies and as we move into a new chapter in our friendship, Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership from strength to strength.
“I would also like to thank Dame Karen Pierce for her invaluable service for the last four years, and in particular the wisdom and steadfast support she has given me personally since July. She made history as the first woman to serve as UK Ambassador to the U.S. and she has been an outstanding representative of our country abroad.
“I wish her all the very best in future.”
Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
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Dame Karen Pierce (Image: Getty)
Lord Mandelson was one of the architects of New Labour, helping to restore the party to power in the 1990s.
He served as trade secretary and Northern Ireland secretary under Sir Tony but stood down as an MP in 2004 to become a European Commissioner.
He returned to government in 2008 when Mr Brown awarded him a peerage and appointed him business secretary.
More recently, Lord Mandelson stood to be the next chancellor of Oxford University but lost out to former Conservative leader Lord William Hague.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “It is wonderful to welcome Peter back to the team. He offers a wealth of experience in trade, economic and foreign policy from his years in government and the private sector.
“He will arrive in Washington DC as we deepen our enduring alliance with the incoming United States administration, particularly on growth and security.”