Lord Mandelson attacks ‘fetish' for abandoning EU rules

Telegraph

27-05-2025

Lord Mandelson has attacked the 'fetish' for ditching EU rules that work in Britain's interests, during a speech in Washington DC.
Lord Mandelson, Britain's ambassador to the United States, sought to reassure critics who were concerned Sir Keir Starmer's 'reset deal' with the bloc would drag Britain back into the EU.
He said: 'I mean, why make a fetish of dis-alignment when we know that it's in the interests of our business and traders to pursue and to follow those rules and standards.'
Speaking at an event in Washington on Tuesday, the Labour peer suggested it was Britain's job to be of 'huge usefulness' to both allies.
'We are European'
'I think the job of Britain is to be of huge usefulness, both to the United States and the European Union,' he told a crowd gathered at the Atlantic Council.
'We're not in the European Union anymore, and we're not going to go back for the foreseeable future, certainly. But we are European, a European country.
'We left the European Union with a pretty miserable deal, frankly, unfair to us, not particularly favourable in the long term to the EU.'
The Prime Minister unveiled the agreement in London last week, insisting it was a 'win-win' for Britain that would deliver a £9 billion boost to the economy.
But critics seized on clauses in the deal which give European fishermen access to the UK's coastal waters until 2038 and allow Brussels to impose sanctions on British exports if any future government decides to rewrite the deal.
Officials in Washington have warned the Prime Minister against aligning the UK too closely with the EU at the expense of his relationship with Donald Trump, a Eurosceptic
'But like the Prime Minister has said, we see absolutely nothing inconsistent with or at odds between our relationship in Europe and our relationship with the US,' Lord Mandelson added.
The agreement will also force Britain to follow EU rules on food standards and submit to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, which could become a point of contention for the White House.
Under the US trade deal, British ministers explicitly ruled out accepting controversial products like chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef, much to Mr Trump's dismay.
The biggest concession that Sir Keir offered Mr Trump was to slash tariffs on US beef imports from up to 20pc to zero. At the same time, Britain also slashed the tariff on imported ethanol.
'There's no point in dis-aligning ourselves from European Union rules and standards where we are operating in Britain, those rules and standards in order to export into the European single market,' Lord Mandelson added.
Meanwhile, Lord Mandelson said Nato needed a 'real reinvention' amid fears that the United States could pull its troops from Europe when leaders meet next month.
Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Nato countries for not meeting the current two per cent spending goal, arguing that the disparity puts an unfair burden on the United States.
In turn, the administration is said to be redrawing Nato engagement in a way that favours member countries with higher defence spending.
'Nato doesn't just need a reset. It doesn't just need a tweak or a rebalance or an adjustment in its cost bearing burden,' Lord Mandelson added.
'It needs a real reinvention for the 21st Century, and that's what I hope that the Hague summit will trigger to open up a lot of collaboration between us in the years to come.'
Lord Mandelson, who has faced criticism for his alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party, said the US and Britain must combine forces to stop China's technological advancement.
'There is nothing in this world I fear more than China winning the race for technological dominance in the coming decades, China represents a far more dynamic and formidable strategic rival than the Soviet Union ever was.'
'The United Kingdom and United States are the only two Western nations with trillion dollar technology ecosystems combined with unparalleled talent and research capabilities in our universities and corporations.
'We must combine forces, in my view, to drive the scientific breakthroughs that will define this century.'