Latest news with #LordMandelson
Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Lord Mandelson honoured with tiny plaque by Maga elite
With his legs crossed, and grinning ear to ear, Lord Mandelson was honoured by the Maga elite with a plaque at a restaurant favoured by Trump supporters. The British ambassador to the US was in a jovial mood as he arrived at Butterworth's to pull back the tiny curtains on a brass plate above his favourite sofa. The plaque, roughly as long as the Labour peer's index finger, rests above the French-style couch upon which he sprawled during his first visit to the restaurant. 'I do feel that I have finally made it from tribal politician to real diplomat now that I have unveiled the first plaque in my new diplomatic career,' he said, gesturing towards the sign. 'When I came here, I wandered off the streets hungry, not knowing what it was. I thought I might get a nice lobster thermidor if I was lucky. I sprawled out on this sofa and we had a wonderful conversation for a long time.' After a tumultuous three decades pulling the strings in Westminster, Lord Mandelson has spent the past six months trying to schmooze his way into 'Magaland'. It has involved a three-pronged charm offensive – endless meetings on the hill, lunches with big businesses and the odd party to prove to the US president's allies that he is a friend. Many of those allies have been lobbying for the peer's removal since his appointment was announced, due to him once labelling Mr Trump a 'danger to the world'. Donning a red tie emboldened with butterflies, borrowed from an embassy staffer, Lord Mandelson made his way to the sofa through a small group of hacks and supporters who sipped Hambledon English sparkling wine. In front of a backdrop of British and American bunting, he said he felt 'really chuffed by the ambassador's sofa', which is where he first met Raheem Kassam, a British Right-winger and the co-owner of the restaurant. 'In deeply partisan-charged environments, it is incumbent upon those who believe in putting Britain's best foot forward to lock arms,' said Mr Kassam, the National Pulse editor and an ally of the president. 'Washington is a cut-throat city, but if you want to represent the country in a serious diplomatic way, you have to reach out to all sides.' Like many who have dined in Butterworth's, the ambassador wasted no time digging into the restaurant's famous French fries, which are fried in beef tallow. The nouveau French restaurant has quickly emerged as the destination du jour for Republican elites in Washington, and for good reason. Only Mr Trump's breakneck takeover of the capital itself has matched the booming popularity of this Maga haven. Then there is the food. Glowing reviews in the Washington Post and the New York Times magazine, both of which should be ideological foes, means the restaurant is already taking Christmas bookings. The chic dining room on Capitol Hill, which opened in October, is the creation of several investors including Alex Butterworth, the senior counsel for Uber. While his name appears above the door, it is Mr Kassam, another investor, who has drawn in clientele including Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, and Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state. 'Although we don't have identical politics, we are familiar with masters of the same drivers that brought our respective figures to power – President Trump in your case and Keir Starmer in mine,' Lord Mandelson said, smiling to Mr Kassam. 'I feel that over centuries now, British diplomats here in United States have been creating coalitions that support the special relationship. I just think what you have created here at Butterworth's is fairly remarkable. 'You've brought the best of British gastro pub food and planted it down here on Capitol Hill. I feel you've brought the special relationship up to a new higher level.' The new climate in Washington is one even the most experienced of diplomats have struggled to navigate. Embassies across the city have resorted to throwing their own parties in the hopes White House officials and staffers alike will venture through their doors. It is an environment even Lord Mandelson, one of the wiliest of political operators, admits has been difficult to crack. 'It's complicated, it's challenging, it's unpredictable, and changes day by day. Indeed, quite often it changes during the time,' he said, appearing to reference the explosive fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Mr Kassam, who was sceptical of Lord Mandelson's appointment, said it was important to show 'Brits back home that we can actually work together in His Majesty's interest'. 'Despite my historic political differences with Lord Mandelson, I'm delighted to help him help Britain, and we will endeavour to vigorously pursue that cause with rugged prejudice,' he added.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
US ambassador Lord Mendelson says UK's 'reset' with the EU is just the beginning as he fails to rule out rejoining the bloc
The UK's 'reset' with the European Union is just the beginning, Lord Mandelson has said, following the Prime Minister's deal with Brussels. The Ambassador to the US failed to rule out rejoining the bloc in the future as he spoke about the agreement yesterday. His comments come after Keir Starmer was accused of a Brexit 'surrender' last week after agreeing to make concessions on EU fishing rights and plans to introduce a youth mobility scheme. In a speech to the Atlantic Council think-tank in Washington, Lord Mandelson said the Prime Minister had embarked on a reset to improve the 'miserable' deal with which the UK left the EU. He said the agreement would 'finish the job' and 'tie up some loose ends which we've done in trade, energy co-operation, police and border security and intelligence sharing and now, of course, in defence.' He added: 'It's the beginning. It's the foundation of a reset. It's not the end of it.' Referring to Britain's place on the world stage, Lord Mandelson said that while the UK would not be rejoining the EU soon, he did not rule out a future return. 'We're not in the European Union any more and we're not going to go back for the foreseeable future, certainly, but we are European,' he said. Lord Mandelson also said that the UK would seek to negotiate a decrease in Donald Trump's tariffs on British exports. Sir Keir managed to lower tariffs in a deal with the US but failed to cut the 10 per cent baseline rate. While Lord Mandelson said he could understand Mr Trump's 'frustration' that led him to introduce tariffs, he said they were not 'welcome'. 'We need to address [reciprocal tariffs] and we're agreed to do so,' he said, adding that the UK and US could use 'non-tariff barriers'. Warning that Europe must no longer rely on the US for security, he said that Mr Trump had done the bloc 'a favour' in saying he would no longer be responsible for protecting allies. He said the world had lived in a 'fantasy' that a 'friendly heavyweight across the water would be there when the going gets tough'. Lord Mandelson's remarks came after Pedro Serrano, the EU Ambassador to the UK, said the UK and EU were 'old friends entering an era of new beginnings'. Writing in the i newspaper, he said that their respective economies were 'joined at the hip' and that more would be done to strengthen ties.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
UK still hoping to slash Trump's 10% tariffs on goods, says Mandelson
Britain is hoping to negotiate down Donald Trump 's 10 per cent 'baseline' tariffs on UK good sold to America, Lord Mandelson said today. The Labour peer, who is the UK's ambassador to the US, outlined how work is ongoing to 'address' the 'reciprocal' tariffs the US President has imposed. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump announced an agreement to provide UK relief to American tariffs on cars and steel. But a 10 per cent baseline tariff on most UK goods, described by Mr Trump as a 'reciprocal' tariff, still remains in place despite the trade deal. Lord Mandelson, speaking at an Atlantic Council event, said the UK and US should continue to look at reducing both tariffs and non-tariff barriers where possible. Yet he admitted that Mr Trump was 'quite wedded' to his 10 per cent baseline levies. He spoke after the US President backed away from his threat to pose 50 per cent tariffs on imports from the EU next month by pushing a deadline back to 9 July. Lord Mandelson suggested the UK's own trade agreement with the US should serve as a 'template' for others - including the EU - in avoiding a major trade conflict. The former cabinet minister also urged Britain and America to work together in order to beat China in a race to harness the potential of AI. He compared this to the 'Manhattan Project' during the Second World War, when the UK and US collaborated on developing the first nuclear weapons. Speaking about the recently-signed trade agreement between Sir Keir and Mr Trump, Lord Mandelson said: 'We had to deal with the sectoral tariffs as a priority. 'Because they were the ones that presented a particular threat to industry and jobs in Britain. 'We were facing, unless that deal was done, in the following fortnight a massive loss of jobs in our auto sector in the West Midlands and elsewhere in Britain. 'In our steel sector, and potentially - and I'm glad we've got this prospective protection - on aerospace and pharmaceuticals as well. 'I hope this deal between Britain and the US offers a template for other nations, including the EU, to do its own deal with the US. 'Because none of us wants to see big trading partners - even giants - going head-to-head.' Under the agreement announced on 8 May, both Britain and the US agreed to continue trade negotiations in a number of areas. 'We need the reciprocal tariffs, which are slightly different from the sectoral ones, we need to address those as well and we've agreed to do so,' Lord Mandelson added. But, asked to assess the UK's chances of improving the terms of the agreement, he said: 'Let's see, I think the President seems quite wedded to that 10 per cent baseline. 'Within that baseline, I think we can and should look where it is in our mutual advantage to reduce not just the effective tariffs that are operating, but also the non-tariff barriers. 'I think this is a source of great irritation to the President.' Lord Mandelson noted how Mr Trump's baseline tariffs were 'not exactly unique', as he highlighted how Richard Nixon 'had done exactly in the early 1970s'. 'Another 10 per cent baseline tariff put on trade between the US and its partners,' he added. 'So this is not exactly unique, it's not new - I'm not saying it's welcome.' Trade experts have suggested the UK-US deal is a step towards excluding China from global supply chains. And Lord Mandelson said countries in Europe were 'becoming more conscious of the need not to expand or extend our reliance on China'. 'Europe doesn't want to shut out China or decouple from China, but we've got to be much more sceptical,' he added. 'We've got to scrutinise much more carefully key areas where we are overly-dependent on China in our supply chains.' He insisted, under Sir Keir, that Britain would not be returning to the so-called 'golden era' of relations with China under former PM David Cameron. Lord Mandelson urged the UK and US to work together on AI, as he outlined a vision of Britain as 'an AI-driven new model economy for the 21st century'. 'I believe we have to do that with American technology, capital and talent to add to our own. We have all those things in plentiful quantity,' he said. 'If we allow China to win this race - and heavens knows they're catching up with every year that passes - if China wins that AI race they will have the key. 'They will be able to do things that cascade down not just in their own country but everyone elses across the world. 'I don't want to see a world in which China has got the key to AI, where it's able to use that key to open up so many other areas of technological advance. 'Their values, their principles, how they conduct themselves is not right for the sort of world we want to live in and create. 'That's why I think we have to band together, just as we did in the Manhattan Project. 'That was an extraordinary collaboration between two great science-rich nations - our own and the US. 'What goes for the Manhattan Project now needs to go for so many other sectors of technological advance. 'Where we can create huge new sources of improvement in the lives of our people and of humanity.' As well as the trade agreement with the US, Sir Keir has also recently signed a Brexit 'reset' deal with the EU.
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Lord Mandelson attacks ‘fetish' for abandoning EU rules
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.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Britain is still hoping to slash Donald Trump's 10% tariffs on UK goods, says Peter Mandelson - but he warns US President is 'wedded' to his 'baseline' trade levies
Britain is hoping to negotiate down Donald Trump 's 10 per cent 'baseline' tariffs on UK good sold to America, Lord Mandelson said today. The Labour peer, who is the UK's ambassador to the US, outlined how work is ongoing to 'address' the 'reciprocal' tariffs the US President has imposed. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Trump announced an agreement to provide UK relief to American tariffs on cars and steel. But a 10 per cent baseline tariff on most UK goods, described by Mr Trump as a 'reciprocal' tariff, still remains in place despite the trade deal. Lord Mandelson, speaking at an Atlantic Council event, said the UK and US should continue to look at reducing both tariffs and non-tariff barriers where possible. Yet he admitted that Mr Trump was 'quite wedded' to his 10 per cent baseline levies. He spoke after the US President backed away from his threat to pose 50 per cent tariffs on imports from the EU next month by pushing a deadline back to 9 July. Lord Mandelson suggested the UK's own trade agreement with the US should serve as a 'template' for others - including the EU - in avoiding a major trade conflict. The former cabinet minister also urged Britain and America to work together in order to beat China in a race to harness the potential of AI. He compared this to the 'Manhattan Project' during the Second World War, when the UK and US collaborated on developing the first nuclear weapons. Speaking about the recently-signed trade agreement between Sir Keir and Mr Trump, Lord Mandelson said: 'We had to deal with the sectoral tariffs as a priority. 'Because they were the ones that presented a particular threat to industry and jobs in Britain. 'We were facing, unless that deal was done, in the following fortnight a massive loss of jobs in our auto sector in the West Midlands and elsewhere in Britain. 'In our steel sector, and potentially - and I'm glad we've got this prospective protection - on aerospace and pharmaceuticals as well. 'I hope this deal between Britain and the US offers a template for other nations, including the EU, to do its own deal with the US. 'Because none of us wants to see big trading partners - even giants - going head-to-head.' Under the agreement announced on 8 May, both Britain and the US agreed to continue trade negotiations in a number of areas. 'We need the reciprocal tariffs, which are slightly different from the sectoral ones, we need to address those as well and we've agreed to do so,' Lord Mandelson added. But, asked to assess the UK's chances of improving the terms of the agreement, he said: 'Let's see, I think the President seems quite wedded to that 10 per cent baseline. 'Within that baseline, I think we can and should look where it is in our mutual advantage to reduce not just the effective tariffs that are operating, but also the non-tariff barriers. 'I think this is a source of great irritation to the President.' Lord Mandelson noted how Mr Trump's baseline tariffs were 'not exactly unique', as he highlighted how Richard Nixon 'had done exactly in the early 1970s'. 'Another 10 per cent baseline tariff put on trade between the US and its partners,' he added. 'So this is not exactly unique, it's not new - I'm not saying it's welcome.' Trade experts have suggested the UK-US deal is a step towards excluding China from global supply chains. And Lord Mandelson said countries in Europe were 'becoming more conscious of the need not to expand or extend our reliance on China'. 'Europe doesn't want to shut out China or decouple from China, but we've got to be much more sceptical,' he added. 'We've got to scrutinise much more carefully key areas where we are overly-dependent on China in our supply chains.' He insisted, under Sir Keir, that Britain would not be returning to the so-called 'golden era' of relations with China under former PM David Cameron. Lord Mandelson urged the UK and US to work together on AI, as he outlined a vision of Britain as 'an AI-driven new model economy for the 21st century'. 'I believe we have to do that with American technology, capital and talent to add to our own. We have all those things in plentiful quantity,' he said. 'If we allow China to win this race - and heavens knows they're catching up with every year that passes - if China wins that AI race they will have the key. 'They will be able to do things that cascade down not just in their own country but everyone elses across the world. 'I don't want to see a world in which China has got the key to AI, where it's able to use that key to open up so many other areas of technological advance. 'Their values, their principles, how they conduct themselves is not right for the sort of world we want to live in and create. 'That's why I think we have to band together, just as we did in the Manhattan Project. 'That was an extraordinary collaboration between two great science-rich nations - our own and the US. 'What goes for the Manhattan Project now needs to go for so many other sectors of technological advance. 'Where we can create huge new sources of improvement in the lives of our people and of humanity.' As well as the trade agreement with the US, Sir Keir has also recently signed a Brexit 'reset' deal with the EU. Critics have blasted the agreement for tying the UK much closer to Brussels' rules. But Lord Mandelson, a former EU commissioner, said: 'There's no point in disaligning ourselves from EU rules and standards where we are operating in Britain those rules and standards in order to export into the European single market. 'Why make a fetish of disalignment when we know that it's in the interests of our businesses and traders to follow those rules and standards?' Yet Lord Mandelson admitted there were 'other areas' - such as on data protection and AI - where the UK should 'follow a more independent regulatory pathway'.
