High profile, high risk: could Mandelson help tame Donald Trump?
For some months, Lord Mandelson had been going round London suggesting he had no desire to be appointed to the role of Washington ambassador, saying he would rather not become a hotel manager so late in his career,His feigned lack of interest in shepherding a succession of middle-rank ministers through the British embassy, a 96-year-old recently restored Lutyens building, is typical of the smoke and mirrors that has surrounded his potential appointment,At another point, it was suggested that the appointment of Mandelson was being blocked by the foreign secretary, David Lammy, who feared one of the key roles in his job – guiding the special relationship through a second Trump term – would effectively be snatched from him by the publicity-attracting former minister,Lammy had already lost responsibility for EU negotiations and had to swallow the appointment of one Blairite, Jonathan Powell, as national security adviser, so tolerating a third reduction to his portfolio might be too much,In the end, if Lammy ever harboured such doubts – and the evidence is thin – he was big enough to see the virtue in the appointment of the first political ambassador to Washington in 50 years.
A celebrity politician, rather than a conventional diplomat, might make Britain’s sometimes lonely voice heard in the cacophony of Washington.There are also self-evident dangers in the appointment.It had been suggested that either Mandelson or David Miliband, the former Labour foreign secretary, would be offered the post if Kamala Harris was appointed, since they were natural ideological soulmates, but a lower-profile professional diplomat would handle relations if Trump triumphed.Instead, Keir Starmer has taken the risk of appointing Mandelson.The two men are not personally close, although Starmer was one of a tiny number of elected MPs invited to his wedding to long-term partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
Starmer, if anything, has kept Mandelson at a distance, but the former Labour cabinet minister still had full access to Downing Street through Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and a close ally of Mandelson,One Labour figure said: “It’s a curious appointment, not very Keir,Does not feel right, but not very much does now,Feels very Morgan,”An internally famous paper attributed to McSweeney written in 2021 on how Starmer had to “embrace the conflict that is inevitable” with the left in the party was heavily influenced by Mandelson’s thinking, or in fact may have been authored by him.
On the surface, Mandelson may not be natural material for Maga fans.Liberal, internationalist, pro-European, free trading, he in some senses personifies what Republicans dislike about Europe.But the calculation is that the collective mentality of the Trump team – apart from loyalty to the leader – is to respect those who stand their ground, express a view backed by evidence and defend their national self-interest.If anything, Trump has a thing for strong men.It is a point Nigel Farage has acknowledged, one of the few non-Labour politicians to endorse his appointment.
On the other hand, if Trump turns against someone, it can prove fatal.In 2019 Trump effectively enforced the resignation of the British ambassador, Sir Kim Darroch, branding him “a very stupid guy” after confidential emails emerged in which the ambassador had called his administration “clumsy and inept”.With two dismissals from public office under his belt, he cannot afford a hat-trick.One diplomat said that “the trick with Trump is to steer a course between respect and fawning.He likes to collect different options.
”In the transatlantic debates ahead, Mandelson will be able to lean on his knowledge of trade built up as European commissioner between 2004 and 2008, and then as president of the Board of Trade in Gordon Brown’s administration from 2008 to 2010, having first taken the role under Blair in 1998,Sign up to First EditionOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersafter newsletter promotionTrump famously puts tariffs at the centre of his politics, not just as a means to right trading wrongs, but as a lever to secure political advantage,By contrast, as commissioner Mandelson was an unabashed advocate of free trade,In 2005, he argued: “The European economy stands or falls on our ability to keep markets open, to open new markets and to develop new areas where Europe’s inventors, investors, entrepreneurs can trade,”But drill deeper and Mandelson was a more subtle thinker on globalisation’s threats, the growth of Brics countries and trade at the service of development.
Many of these more technical speeches passed the political class by.At the same time, he grasps the weeds of trade deals, including tariffs, regulations and service agreements.As a result, there is succession of on the record criticisms of Trump made by Mandelson in the past that he will just have to acknowledge and play down, including in 2018 describing Trump as a “bully and mercantilist”.His views on China also put him closer to the Elon Musk camp than the many China hawks in Congress and the administration.But Mandelson is not just being hired as a trade buff; his biggest task will be to predict, navigate and influence the Trump administration’s approach to China, Ukraine, Israel and Iran, as well as bilateral issues such as the Chagos Islands, all the time trying to synchronise with other western powers.
He reads people, or in his own phrase, “I see into people,” making often summary judgments about personalities and motives.In a sense, the appointment, surely the last in an extraordinary chequered career, is a return to his first role under Tony Blair – the man charged with seeing round corners.But it is a skill set that now faces its greatest challenge.Trump’s modus operandi is to put unpredictability at the centre of his statecraft, so as to destabilise his adversaries.The test of Mandelson’s success at the end of the four years may well be if he has helped the UK avoid making the fateful choice it has always sought to avoid since the second world war – between an isolationist US and multilateral Europe.
Cochlear implants make a useful addition to sign language | Letters
As a deaf researcher focused on language deprivation among deaf individuals, I am often asked about cochlear implants and their role in the lives of deaf children (The cochlear question: as the parent of a deaf baby, should I give her an implant to help her hear?, 11 December). While cochlear implants are a technological tool that provides access to sound, the critical issue is not the implant itself, but the decision to exclude signed languages from a deaf child’s upbringing.Language is a fundamental human right and the foundation of cognitive, social and emotional development. For deaf children, access to a visual language – such as American Sign Language or British Sign Language (BSL) – is essential, particularly in the early years when the brain is most receptive to language acquisition. Without this access, many deaf children can face significant delays in language development, which leads to lifelong challenges in education, employment and mental health
Breaking the social care reform logjam | Letters
The “deep reform” that social care needs (Editorial, 3 December) must break the cycle of short-term fixes and insufficient funding, which leaves the sector in a perpetual state of uncertainty – forever playing the role of Oliver Twist asking for more, yet lacking long-term security.A better-funded version of the current system won’t suffice to address the profound demographic, societal and technological shifts shaping the future. Having helped steer the Care Act into law and set up the Dilnot commission, I know how challenging it is to get long‑term reform agreed upon.Landing the cap on lifetime care costs proved nearly impossible during my time as a minister. A workable solution fell victim to a classic case of “making the best the enemy of the good”, with no consensus on what “best” meant
The Guardian view on the victims of conflict: at the end of a brutal year they need support | Editorial
Wars in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and elsewhere have made 2024 a brutal and bloody 12 months. For this year’s Guardian and Observer appeal, in aid of three conflict-linked charities, we are asking readers to give out of compassion for those affected, and in the hope of promoting peace in a safer world. As well as alleviating immediate suffering, and saving lives, our voluntary-sector partners play a vital role in helping to restore civil society in places where it is devastated by conflict. Their work with children, in particular, is essential to efforts to build a better future.The year began with fierce fighting and mass displacements in southern Gaza
Pat Milner obituary
My friend Pat Milner, who has died aged 91, was one of the first student counsellors in the UK. Her career started in 1965 when she applied for a pioneering diploma course at Reading University.In a 2001 interview with her former colleague Stephen Palmer, she described it as a “road to Damascus experience”. “For the first term, I believed the theories of this man, Carl Rogers, were ludicrous and would never work,” she said. “What did he mean ‘really listen’? Of course we listened! In practice, genuineness, warmth and empathy opened up a new world of human understanding
Pop-up heart-health hubs sought for Premier League clubs in England
Premier League football clubs across England could soon offer fans a one-stop clinic, designed to scan, diagnose and treat some early signs of cardiovascular disease after a successful screening pilot.Almost one in three football supporters screened at Everton football club’s pop-up clinic this autumn were diagnosed with hypertension, the leading preventable risk factor for heart failure, heart attack and stroke.Almost one in five of those diagnosed were discovered to require emergency hospitalisation, which was averted by the immediate prescription of life-saving drugs.“We were able to test, diagnose and provide vital medication within 60 minutes – a process that can take up to six months in the NHS,” said Dr Rajiv Sankaranarayanan, consultant cardiologist and clinical lead for the Beat Breathlessness Hub, run with the Everton in the Community charity.Fans received a blood test, an AI echo heart scan and a specialist review
European city mayors urge Ursula von der Leyen to tackle EU’s housing crisis
The mayors of 10 major European cities – between them representing more than 13 million people – have written to Ursula von der Leyen calling on the EU to “rise to the occasion” to tackle one of the “most pressing challenges” facing the bloc: the housing crisis.“Time is of the essence: citizens need solutions and they need them now,” the letter signed by the mayors of Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Paris, among others, reads.They note that a growing number of social groups, from young people to single-parent households, are struggling to access adequate housing across Europe, while the number of homeless people has climbed to a record high.“This shortage has become particularly critical also for key workers and middle-class households,” the letter noted. “And it risks eroding the social foundation of the European project and undermining cities’ ability to attract and retain talent, threatening their competitiveness
Record losses and bumper bonuses – the pay row tearing apart English rugby
England must accept the need for ruthlessness alongside entertainment | Mark Ramprakash
Fury channels destructive intentions for deeply personal Usyk rematch
The Wallpark bids to continue Irish jumps domination in the Long Walk
NFL playoff race: Lamar Jackson and Ravens out to snap Pittsburgh hoodoo
Chess: Gukesh and India celebrate after win but new challenges are emerging