Nice? “Nice” is what you call a meal that doesn’t give you food poisoning. Or a friend’s dress she probably shouldn’t have bought. Trump may be many things to his Maga-minded zealots – tough, disruptive, brave – but not even they would call him “nice”. And those who have preferred the descriptors, “fascist”, “narcissist” or “evil” probably wouldn’t either.
Which will come as news to former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and security adviser John Bolton, who have just had their security revoked by Trump despite death threats. But still, the first rule of diplomacy is to build a constructive relationship with the leader of your host nation.
Either way, in his interview, he said his previous comments about Trump were “ill-judged and wrong”. He spoke of his “fresh respect” for the President, saying he was “quite confident” Trump would approve of his appointment.
Obviously we need a (very) good relationship with the US. We trade billions of dollars of goods with them each year. We need to protect the one million British workers employed by American firms. We need to engage Trump as best we can in playing a role in global alliances, rather than retreating into isolationism. Some may even want a free trade deal (if you fancy chlorinated chicken for your tea). What we definitely do not want is tariffs, which will shred any growth dreams and open the door here to Trump’s mini-me, Nigel Farage.
Mandelson – or the Prince of Darkness as he was once known – is the man who did so much to get Tony Blair elected, then stayed at the heart of power through dealing, schmoozing and scheming.
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Read MoreMandelson’s enthusiasm for the European Union and “doveish” attitude towards China did not make him the most obvious candidate for the US ambassadorial role. And he hardly fits the testosterone-toting Trump administration’s idea of what a British ambassador might look like – somewhere between James Robertson Justice and Ant Middleton.
And yet in the new world in which we now live, today’s social media opponent is tomorrow’s best buddy. The question will be if Mandelson can adapt his fiercely pro-European and pro-China thinking to an America First environment.
He has big boots to fill, following “Trump whisperer” Karen Pierce. Yet political shapeshifter Peter Mandelson may well do it.
“Oh,” I replied, “he is the great Svengali of politics.”
Alison Phillips was editor of the Daily Mirror from 2018-24; she won Columnist of the Year at the 2018 National Press Awards
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