Opinion | Peter Mandelson, a political appointment to navigate Britain's complex interests
By Tom Fowdy
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the United States, a move which has been met with anger by China hawks.
Peter Mandelson, a key figure in the "New Labour" era of Tony Blair in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is a complex character who is largely known for his Machiavellian approach to politics and his ability to exert "shadow" political influence. In Blair's cabinet, Mandelson occupied the role of Minister without Portfolio yet he became one of the most influential advisors and strategists. For this legacy he is largely disliked by the Labour left, thus he spent the past 14 years in the political wilderness while the party veered leftwards under Jeremy Corbyn.
Although Mandelson is strongly associated with the legacy of the war in Iraq, he is nonetheless a China dove who understands the importance of Britain's relationship with Beijing in terms of trade and investment, a premise which was thrown under the bus by the American subservience of the previous government. Already, he has reportedly been a key figure in moderating Starmer's approach to China despite the party being Anti-China when it was in opposition. Hence, for those wanting a confrontational relationship with Beijing, Mandelson's appointment and role is generally seen as bad news.
But why pick him as Ambassador to the United States? Keir Starmer has picked an extremely skilled and experienced political player in order to handle relations with Washington. He deliberately held off this decision until the election was over, thus showing that Mandelson has very much been appointed to handle Trump, someone who of course will course exceptional challenges to Britain's relations and interests across the board. This is not antagonistic, but prudent. Mandelson's Machiavellian playbook will surely allow Britain to exert its own influence in Washington D.C. circles and steer America's decision-making towards its preferences, especially when it comes to issues such as China.
The previous Trump administration essentially forced Britain to make Anti-China moves in several directions, and the previous Conservative governments simply followed. Here, Keir Starmer recognizes Britain needs to be able to hold its own more, to negotiate and to be able to really "play the game" around all the cogs of the Washington system. One thing I am learning with experience is that you cannot stop or beat the United States at anything in a direct confrontation, or an obstacle, when it becomes set on something foreign policy-wise, but you can play them and influence them towards changing course over time. It must be subtle, legitimate, and work on a myriad of levels.
This is why I have especially recommended in multiple recent articles that I do not believe taking a confrontational stance towards Trump is wise. Rather, any diplomatic strategy of handling this administration should seek to play a shrewder game, allowing him to claim wins for himself, being prepared to work with them, and see the bigger picture. China's own turn towards rhetorical aggression in 2020 for example, was disastrous with hindsight. Of course, from the position of Britain, the government need to make sure that Trump's foreign policies do not pose integral harm to what we want and need. Of course there are many dimensions to this beyond China as well, such as for example, Britain is the world's leading advocate for hawkishness on Ukraine even as the Republicans want to disengage.
Essentially, Keir Starmer is rightfully treating UK-US relations as a calculated game, a game which is complicated by the administration that is entering office, its general unpredictability, as well as the fact Britain is under a Labour government and the White House will have some grievances with that. It is easy to describe UK-US relations as "the special relationship" and in many instances, Britain is notorious for following America, but any shrews British leader should look at the devastating economic decline the country is experiencing and realize that Britain should not put all its eggs in one basket, which is precisely what the previous government did adopting a "US alone" strategy after Brexit which has proved to be wholesale damaging. Mandelson is a man who has never been personally popular, is associated for being a bit sinister, but you know you will get a realist approach out of him.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Tom Fowdy:
Opinion | How Chinese Spy Scandals are orchestrated political theatre in Britain
Opinion | What should we make of Trump's invitation to Xi
Opinion | The fall of the Assad Regime and Syria's future
Opinion | The Storm in a teacup, and the demise of Yoon Suk-yeol
Comment