UK PM appoints Labour veteran Peter Mandelson as envoy to US

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed Friday the appointment of veteran Labour politician Peter Mandelson, a former minister and EU trade commissioner, as the next ambassador to the United States.

Mandelson, 71, will take up the post "early next year", Downing Street said, just as US-president elect Donald Trump returns to the White House for a second term.

"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," Starmer said in a statement.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy praised Mandelson's "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."

Mandelson, an EU trade commissioner from 2004 to 2008 who also co-founded the international public policy advisory firm Global Counsel, called his appointment "a great honour".

"We face challenges in Britain but also big opportunities," he added.

"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."

Mandelson's appointment comes amid reported unease within the UK government about the prospects for London's so-called "special relationship" with Washington during Trump's second presidency.

The US president-elect's threat to impose blanket tariffs on all imports is a particular concern for Starmer's new Labour government, which has vowed to boost Britain's sluggish economic growth rates of recent years.

Part of the last Labour government removed from power in 2010, Mandelson is the first political appointment for the envoy's role in decades. Britain typically picks seasoned diplomats to be ambassadors.

He will replace Karen Pierce, the current ambassador in Washington, who has been credited with forging strong links with the many staffers and advisors in Trump's team.

Starmer thanked 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 US," he noted, adding she had been "an outstanding representative of our country abroad".