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Peter Mandelson has just rowed back on his past criticisms of Donald Trump as he prepares to become Britain’s new ambassador to America.
The Labour peer and former cabinet minister previously said Trump was “a danger to the world” and a “little short of a white nationalist and racist”.
But in a stunning climbdown, Lord Mandelson said his previous remarks were “ill-judged and wrong”.
His U-turn will be seen as confirmation that Trump will not block his appointment as the government’s man in Washington, despite one senior Republican describing him as an “absolute moron”.
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Mandelson said: “I consider my remarks about President Trump as ill-judged and wrong. I think that times and attitudes towards the president have changed.”
Referencing Trump’s re-election, he said: “I think that he has won fresh respect. He certainly has from me, and that is going to be the basis of all the work I do as His Majesty’s ambassador in the United States.”
The incoming ambassador also denied claims the Trump administration were unhappy with his appointment and considering blocking it.
He said: “I’ve heard nothing from the president or the White House or anyone working for him that suggests that there’s going to be any difficulty about my appointment.”
He claimed he feels “optimistic” about the relationship between US president and the UK PM, despite the recent war of words between Starmer and Trump’s informal advisor, tech tycoon Elon Musk.
Mandelson said: “They’re not Siamese twins, President Trump and Prime Minister Starmer, but they’re both pragmatic people. They know where each is coming from, they want to find common ground.
“I feel very optimistic. I feel very upbeat about the relationship that they’re both going to have.”
Although there have been concerns that Starmer’s past criticisms of Trump might blight the “special” UK-US relationship, the two world leaders did speak on the phone over the weekend and they “stressed the importance of the close and warm ties” between their countries.
Mandelson also emphasised why his own past would help solidify his bond with Trump, saying: “The president isn’t a career diplomat, and I’m not a career diplomat. I came into politics to change things for the better for people, and so did he.
“We share a similar, if not identical, outlook on the world and motivation in politics. But I think above all, we believe in something which is really special between our countries.”
He added: “Frankly, I think President Trump could become one of the most consequential American presidents I have known in my adult life.”
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