Lord Mandelson ‘lined up’ to be US ambassador if Harris defeats Trump

Lord Peter Mandelson is ‘lined up’ to be Britain’s new US ambassador if Kamala Harris defeats Donald Trump in the American presidential election, it has emerged.

The Labour peer has made a ‘credible pitch’ for the job, which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer considers to be one of his most important appointments, a Whitehall source told The Telegraph.

Lord Mandelson is a ‘significant figure in the party’ and someone with ‘political weight and substance’, the insider said, adding that he also has ‘a lot of foreign policy experience’.

Sir Keir is reportedly planning to wait until after the November election to appoint someone to the DC-based role, but Lord Mandelson is the front runner should Harris be elected. Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband is also allegedly a contender.

It is unclear who the Prime Minister will appoint should Trump win the race for White House, with analysts noting the US ambassador could carry out a ‘vital political role’ that requires a ‘specific skillset’.

Lord Mandelson (left, in June this year) is ‘lined up’ to be Britain’s new US ambassador if Kamala Harris (right, last week) defeats Donald Trump in the American presidential election , it has emerged

Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband, (pictured in September 2023) who has been running an aid charity in the States for more than a decade, is also allegedly a contender for the role – which could be one the most important decisions Sir Keir Starmer will make in his first year as Prime Minister, as it will likely shape UK-US relations

Sir Keir’s choice for ambassador could be one the most important decisions he will make in his first year as Prime Minister, as it will likely shape UK-US relations.

Lord Mandelson is among a ‘small pool’ of contenders for the role, The Telegraph reported.

‘He’s a person of political weight and substance. He knows power, he understands money, has no problem whatsoever rubbing shoulders with the 1 per cent,’ a source told the newspaper of Lord Mandelson. 

The insider added that the appointment ‘process won’t start until November’.

The New Labour architect, a key ally of Sir Keir, is well connected around the globe, and could be a natural fit, analysts have claimed.

But Miliband, who has been running an aid charity in the States for more than a decade, set tongues wagging earlier this year with a trip to the UK.

The ex-Cabinet minister made a series of high-profile appearances and speeches – and even found time to play a football game with political insiders.

Mr Miliband’s spokesman said in May: ‘This is an invention because David is focused on his current job and has not been discussing a job in Washington with ‘diplomatic sources’. 

‘His contributions to debate in the UK reflect longstanding commitments as a concerned British citizen.’

There had previously been claims that Rishi Sunak‘s national security adviser Sir Tim Barrow was in line to take over the plum job from Dame Karen Pierce. 

But Sir Tim has since been told by the Labour administration that he will not be appointed to the post in Washington, the i reported last month.

It is unclear who Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (pictured yesterday) will appoint should Donald Trump win the race for White House, with analysts noting the US ambassador could carry out a ‘vital political role’ that requires a ‘specific skillset’

Lord Mandelson, a former Cabinet minister and EU commissioner, is also reportedly in the race to become the next chancellor of the University of Oxford, it has been reported.

The post will be elected online for the first time in Oxford’s history, following Lord Chris Patten’s retirement at the age of 80, earlier this year.

It will see more than 250,000 Oxford graduates and former staff members eligible to vote in the ballot. Both Lord Mandelson and Lord William Hague are said to be interested in filling the position. 

Lord Mandelson, a former EU trade commissioner and Labour business secretary, is due to step down from his post at Manchester Metropolitan University in January next year, having been in the role since 2016. 

Reports of Lord Mandelson’s potential new roles come as Sir Keir Starmer yesterday refused to answer key questions over the ‘passes for glasses’ scandal engulfing his government while at the same time vowing to restore honesty to politics.

The Prime Minister has been on the back foot over why his biggest personal donor, Lord Alli, who has gifted him clothes and nearly £2,500 worth of spectacles, was granted an exclusive Downing Street security pass.

At his ‘state of the nation’ speech yesterday, the Prime Minister defended the access-all-areas pass as he admitted for the first time that the Labour peer had been doing ‘transition work’ for the Government.

But there has still been no answer as to who approved the unusual arrangement, with Sir Keir and his chief-of-staff, Sue Gray, both in the spotlight.

He also dismissed as Tory smears the growing cronyism allegations over party staffers and donors being given top civil service jobs, rejecting calls for an inquiry.

MailOnline has approached Downing Street and the Foreign Office for comment.