I never expected to find myself offering a defence of the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK Ambassador to the US. For most, watching his downfall feels less like a political event and more like a long-overdue karmic correction. There is a certain universal satisfaction in seeing the architect of “spin” finally lose control of the narrative, and I take as much pleasure in the fall of the “Prince of Darkness” as the next person. However, if we peel back the layers of personal distaste and the visceral reaction his name provokes, a cold, pragmatic logic emerges regarding his potential utility, specifically in the context of a second Trump administration.
Diplomacy with a traditional president requires a civil servant, but diplomacy with Donald Trump requires a fixer. Trump does not value white papers, bureaucratic nuance, or diplomatic protocol; he values personal loyalty, perceived strength, and the ability to cut a deal in a backroom. Mandelson is one of the few British figures who speaks the language of high-stakes, ego-driven power. If the goal is to manage a notoriously volatile president, there is a coherent, if cynical, logic in sending someone like Mandelson. You can understand the thinking that he might have had some unique sway over a man who views the world as a series of personal transactions.
While the public naturally recoils at their shared history within the Epstein circle, in the amoral world of elite power dynamics, this shared baggage acts as a strange kind of currency. You can see the strategic thinking at play: the government needs someone Trump recognizes as a peer, someone who has navigated the same murky social waters and understands the unspoken rules of that world. In a landscape where traditional leverage fails, a shared history, no matter how grotesque creates a baseline of familiarity and mutual understanding that a career diplomat simply cannot replicate.
Ultimately, the defence rests on the old maxim: “He may be a bastard, but he’s our bastard.” Mandelson’s reputation for ruthlessness, usually turned against his own party rivals, becomes a national asset when turned outward. If you are dealing with an administration that views international relations as a zero-sum cage match, sending a polite diplomat or a standard politician does not work. Every actor in this grotesque drama may be utterly vile, but in the high-stakes gamble of managing a Trump presidency, the logic was clear: the only way to handle a shark is to hire one of your own.
Saying all this, I am still delighted to see him get his comeuppance, and I will be equally delighted if the whole affair finishes off the utterly useless Kier Starmer.
Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
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