5 days ago
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.
