London (AFP) – Peter Mandelson, who has been sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US, has been a pivotal figure in shaping modern British politics, but his Machiavellian tactics and choice of friends have seen him repeatedly embroiled in controversy. The 71-year-old, dubbed the “Prince of Darkness” of British politics, has twice been forced to resign as a minister in the past over alleged misconduct.
A master of constant reinvention, his latest incarnation as UK ambassador to the US came to a shuddering halt on Wednesday when he was forced out over his links to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. His relationship with Epstein had been public knowledge for years. In 2019, an internal report by bank JP Morgan found that Epstein “appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew…and Lord Peter Mandelson”, whom he called “Petie”. The report also revealed an email from Epstein in which he said that Mandelson “will be staying” at his New York apartment, despite the financier being in prison at the time for soliciting prostitution from a minor. But new revelations over past days led to his swift removal.
Mandelson along with Tony Blair were the co-architects of “New Labour”, which transformed the UK Labour Party in the 1990s into an election-winning juggernaut that made the country a beacon of economic and social liberalism. But unlike Blair, Mandelson appeared more comfortable operating in the background, plotting strategy and building up a global network of contacts that current Prime Minister Keir Starmer had hoped would help him smooth over rocky relations with US president Donald Trump. His in-depth knowledge of international trade was also likely to have been a factor in Starmer’s decision to appoint him, given Trump’s drive to impose tariffs on imported goods.
The remarkable but short-lived comeback was a testament to Mandelson’s resilience, but also raised eyebrows due to his chequered political history. Blair made him minister for trade and industry in July 1998, but he was forced to quit after failing to declare that he had taken a loan for a house from a cabinet colleague whose business dealings Mandelson’s department was scrutinising. He returned to government nearly a year later, becoming minister for Northern Ireland, but was forced out after just 14 months following accusations that he used his position to influence a passport application. An independent inquiry later concluded that he had not acted improperly. He retained his seat as an MP at the 2001 election, saying in his victory speech that “they underestimated me because I am a fighter and not a quitter.”
A vociferous supporter of the UK’s participation in European politics, Mandelson quit as MP in 2004 to become an EU trade commissioner. Mandelson made a surprise return to UK politics in 2008 as a minister in Gordon Brown’s government, also receiving a peerage to make him a lord. Once again, he sparked controversy after ordering strict punishments for those guilty of online copyright infringement, shortly after meeting with DreamWorks Records co-founder David Geffen. His Epstein links are not the first time a friendship with a world power-broker has landed him in trouble. In October 2008, Mandelson came under fire over his links to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
Starmer called upon Mandelson’s expertise during Labour’s successful campaign for last July’s general election, and then tasked him with the crucial job of rebuilding the UK-US “special relationship”. Relations had been tested by previous comments from UK ministers and also a war of words with Trump confidant Elon Musk. Mandelson’s dovish stance on China was also seen as potentially clashing with Trump’s hawkish position, but his pragmatism had been expected to help track a way out of any bickering. Despite having previously criticised Trump as “little short of a white nationalist”, Mandelson later told the News Agents podcast that much of the rhetoric around Trump was “hyperbole”. He added that it was “absolutely essential that we establish a relationship with president Trump that enables us to not only understand and interpret what he is doing, but to influence it”.
Mandelson already said that the UK could “have our cake and eat it” on trade, forging closer ties with Europe and the US rather than choosing between the two. Trump friend and right-wing figurehead Nigel Farage also offered a surprisingly positive assessment of Mandelson. “While I’m not certain he’s the ideal fit for dealing with Trump directly, his intellect would at least command respect,” Farage told his GB News show.
© 2024 AFP
