Above, The Right Honourable The Lord Mandelson PC, the next Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States.
Nominated in December 2024 as HM Ambassador to the United States, Lord Mandelson is set to assume the role in 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-lord-mandelson-as-the-next-british-ambassador-to-the-united-states-of-america).
In appointing a politician to the #1 ambassadorial post on the planet replacing a career civil service professional in the person of Dame Karen Pierce, DCMG (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/karen-pierce also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Pierce) the Labour government has responded in the only politically realistic way taking into account the government’s actions and statements since coming to office and the resulting election of President Trump and Mr Trump’s appointment of Mr Elon Musk to a governmental role and the public statements of both these US gentlemen.
Two Tier Keir’s recent statement reported by the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75wp53vk1lo) is confirmation that we can expect to be living through a period when UK – US relations will be less than bonhomie!
This is why in earlier blog-posts I drew the reader’s attention to the very great importance of the US election suggesting that this is going to have a very great effect on the UK’s political scene. That if Mr Trump won (which he has) then things will become tense. In contrast, had Mrs Harris won the situation would have been very very different and Two Tier Keir and his colleague could sleep soundly at night safe and secure in the knowledge that the US government will not be making political statements about internal UK politics.
In the case of the USA, the appointment of individuals who are not career diplomats to ambassadorial posts has often be used as a way to reward these individuals – often for their financial support of the sitting President and/or their party; much in the same way that British Prime Ministers have rewarded similarly “helpful people” by rewarding them with a knighthood and/or a peerage. Since US Presidents are unable to reward their fellow citizens with knighthoods and peerages they opt for other means of rewarding people. This has long been a bit of a problem for the USA and the countries who receive a non professional ambassador. This because such people may not have the abilities to carry out their role effectively. In these cases, generally speaking a career diplomat is appointed to the subsidiary role of “Chief of Staff” and the respective governments know that it is the understudy who is the important person.
The appointment of Lord Mandleson as the next ambassador to the USA is NOT such an appointment!
Replacing the career professional Dame Karen with a senior politician is a carefully assessed political action and one which I myself will NOT criticise Two Tier Starmer for this. In FACT, had “Two Tier” had continued with Dame Karen in office I would have taken him to task!
Why?
Because actions and statements have consequences!
Two Tier’s actions since the murders in Southport have brought about a situation where UK – US relations during the Trump administration will be let us say, “rocky” from time to time!
Why?
Because when you have a Crown Court judge sentencing a sex offender to a suspended sentence and not immediate custody and that same judge on another occasion with another offender who has been convicted of making what were by the CPS offensive posts on “social media” to immediate custody people – in the UK AND the USA will draw their own conclusions!
Labour politicians may point out that the statute law that has brought about immediate custodial sentences upon those deemed to have made offensive posts on social media is the same statute law which pertained during the previous Conservative government. True! But the Southport murders took place when Labour was in power and the police and the CPS and the courts took the actions they did when Labour is in power.
Therefore, for the avoidance of doubt and complete clarity, I repeat: Because actions and statements have consequences!
It really is very very straightforward: When a government locks up individuals for statements on social media that are deemed offensive it is perceived (by others) as been less that democratic and somewhat tyrannical!
Now we know states such as Russia do this but when the UK does it, expect the US political establishment to take due notice!
The FACT is that two Tier Starmer has dug himself and his party into a deep hole and he is now faced with the prospect of having to deal with the political consequences. Now, he could crumble and back track issuing apologies. This will mend fences with the USA but will of course weaken him and his government to a point where he will be forced to ask the King to dissolve Parliament and call a General Election – notwithstanding his enormous majority!
Given the state of the opinion polls one can see why this is not an attractive prospect for Labour!
Two Tier Starmer’s ONLY practical course of action now is to “hunker down” and to “tough it out”!
Two Tier Starmer will know that Mr Trump is a man who has lots of detractors in the UK!
The appointment of Lord Mandleson is in fact a very good move for Labour as Lord Mandleson is a very effective operator and is very experienced and very very competent!
Things are going to become rather turbulent in the not too far distant future!