Ambassador to Washington

Lord Mandelson is a poor choice for this job. Our current Ambassador pulled off getting an appointment for the PM and Foreign Secretary to see Donald Trump shortly before his victory and  did her best to help Lammy move on from his offensive remarks. She could have continued for longer.

Lord Mandelson is said to be experienced and charming. He will  need to be both to win over the President. He will come to crucial trade issues from the EU standpoint  that is likely to inflame the  President and  will probably urge Starmer to align with a losing and no growth EU. To prove me wrong he should begin by persuading the PM to cancel negotiations to give away the Chagos. This is a clear policy where the U.K. and US interests are the same. The absurd and expensive surrender line from the Foreign Office needs to be dumped.

The U.K. has a great opportunity to clinch a free trade deal with the US whilst the EU and the US impose more tariffs on each other. The U.K. should not copy the EU plan to impose high and wide ranging carbon based tariffs under the so called carbon border mechanism.

 

120 Comments

  1. Ian Wraggg
    December 20, 2024

    This appointment has Brussels stamped all over it. They are desperate to avoid tariffs and Mandelslime has a duty to the EU to protect his pension.
    Maybe Nigel will convince Donald to veto the appointment because it certainly isn’t in Britain’s interest, then again nothing 2TK does is.
    Can’t wait for the Epstein files to be released.

    1. Lifelogic
      December 20, 2024

      +1

    2. jerry
      December 20, 2024

      @Ian Wragg; “Mandelslime”

      Your, rather cheap, personal abuse towards Lord Mandelson tells us far more about you Mr Wragg than it does anyone else. In any case there are also ex UKIPers and Conservative MEPs and Commissionaires etc who are also (eligible) to draw their EU pensions too, not just Peter Mandelson.

      “Maybe Nigel will convince Donald to veto the appointment because it certainly isn’t in Britain’s interest,”

      Thus likely driving the UK back towards to the EU, and/or giving the UK PM good reason to reject Trump appointees; perhaps if the UK really wants to have a bun-fight, some on the hard left might convince the UK Prime Minister to use the UK’s UN veto against Trump’s interests at the earliest opportunity.

      The referendum is technically irrelevant, there has three General Elections since, four Prime Ministers, and one change of governing Party. No future Government can be held hostage by the policies of a previous government…

      “Can’t wait for the Epstein files to be released.”

      Careful what you wish for! Who knows what skeletons are thought to be hiding in cupboards, peoples immorality transcends party politics; if ‘found’ even historical skeletons could prove damaging, who knew what, when; who covered up what, for who etc.

  2. formula57
    December 20, 2024

    The UK’s Washington embassy has been a failing, not fit for purpose, establishment in recent years (I do not know if that applies under the outgoing ambassador) so appointing Mandelson if he is unsuited may make little difference. It is not impossible to suppose he will have very little contact with President Trump.

    We have survived somehow since 1783 without a trade deal and trade deals are not always of benefit. The tarrifs regime intended by President Trump likely will eclipse all prior notions of what trade arrangements we might seek.

    1. Peter Wood
      December 20, 2024

      I fully agree. We run a trade surplus with the US, so what’s the pressing need? There aren’t many countries we can say that about.
      Our single biggest trading partner, the EU, does have a (one sided) trade agreement and we run a stonking great deficit with it; better not have the same arrangement with anybody else!

    2. jerry
      December 20, 2024

      @f57; “We have survived somehow since 1783 without a trade deal and trade deals are not always of benefit.”

      Indeed, but for the best part of the intervening 240 odd years the UK had a ready made markets, for both buying raw materials and then selling manufactured goods and services, first with the British Empire (or Commonwealth) and then the EU27+, a then future market Mrs Thatcher clearly thought important in the 1980s, given her support for SEA, and a market Boris Johnson clearly though important enough more recenty not to walk away from the EU on WTO rules.

      1. Martin in Bristol
        December 20, 2024

        You are, I think , misunderstanding what formula57 was trying to say Jerry.
        Trade between USA and UK has carried on quite successfully over many years without a formal trade deal.
        And as Peter said we run a surplus in our trade with USA even without such a deal.
        PS
        Boris was restricted in what he could do by votes in Parliament and a problematic Speaker.

    3. Mark
      December 21, 2024

      Dame Karen Pierce was appointed after Europhile Kim Darroch was sacked after he had upset Trump during his previous presidency. She did a superb job in repairing relations with the Trump administration over its final year, and clearly has links with the incoming administration without having to cultivate them anew. I did wonder whether that would make life difficult for her with the Biden administration. But I guess the fact that she took on Afghanistan previously meant she really was able to be thoroughly professional.

      She has of course already been en poste for almost 5 years (as long as any post War ambassador to the US) and is 65, so might normally be expected to retire. However, Margaret Thatcher appointed Nicko Henderson to the job after he had retired as Ambassador to Paris – and he was key in securing US support for the defence of the Falklands. If we had a proper government she would be well placed to stick up for British interests in similar fashion.

  3. Lemming
    December 20, 2024

    A free trade deal with the US? So you are then happy to sell off the NHS and to accept hormone beef – which Congress and Trump have made clear is a non-negotiable starting point to a deal. It amazes me that you have spent a lifetime protesting against the consent-based processes of the EU in which we were such a powerful player, and yet when the US asks us to jump your only reply is “how high”. Why is that?

    Reply I have said none of those things. I do not propose giving in to bad US demands whereas you usually want to give in to the EU

    1. Narrow Shoulders
      December 20, 2024

      Why would Labour give away the NHS and accept lower food standards? Can they not negotiate?

      1. IanT
        December 20, 2024

        They didn’t with the rail or medical unions, unless you call “What do you want? OK, here you go!” negotiation?

      2. Chris S
        December 20, 2024

        If Starmer wanted to make this a political appointment, who else could he have chosen ?
        The Labour cupboard is pretty bare.
        It will cause huge internal rows on this side of the Atlantic, which might not be possible to keep under wraps. Lammy will be threatened, and rightly so : his lack of experience, past stupidity and a massive amount of baggage make him far more suitable as an ambassador to Nigeria than as Foreign Secretary.

        Anyway, every time an issue comes up that involves the UK, The Donald will be on the phone to ask Nigel what he thinks. The man who Donald Trump believes will be PM by 2029 will have far more influence in the Trump White House than Mandleson, Lammy, or Starmer.

        1. Chris S
          December 20, 2024

          It will all kick off with the Diego Garcia issue. Starmer is going to have to overrule the FO and abandon his idea of handing over sovereignty and paying for the priviledge!

        2. Mark
          December 21, 2024

          If you knew something of Nigerian politics you would not choose Lammy as Ambassador.

    2. Ian Wraggg
      December 20, 2024

      Maybe selling off some of the NHS would yield some positive results. It certainly couldn’t make it any worse. As for their food products, no one will force you to buy them.
      What about our cows being poisoned by Bovaer or whatever it’s called.
      We could learn a lot from US negotiations unlike 2TK capitulation method.

      1. Ed M
        December 20, 2024

        Surely the answer is to get people to pay medical insurance for the NHS (everyone over a certain threshold – which is most people – pay something like ÂŁ25 a month or something). And then have added costs for doctors appointments, paying for equipment and so on.
        Whilst at the same time, a huge campaign on getting people to eat more healthily and take more exercise that would in turn save billions on NHS bills.
        We need to be careful about how we ‘privatise’ the NHS. Look at how South Western Water (I think it is) is ÂŁ15 billion in debt whilst making ÂŁ75 billion over the last 30 years without investing into the water system. I might have got my facts and figures wrong there / confused water companies. But the main point still remains. Meanwhile our water, with huge debts, and which fat cats have creamed over the decades, is mainly owned by foreigners …

        1. jerry
          December 21, 2024

          @Ed M; Fine, how about we also get people to pay for their own car repairs after accidents etc, despite the law requiring them to purchase motor insurance! Clue most adults have paid into their (annuity like) NHS insurance scheme, via their general taxes, not just via NI. Perhaps we should be more like the German heath service, for those entering adult life, that I might agree with – so long as there is, outside of other benefits, temporary transitional tapered-relief (over the next 40 years) of such charges, upon the schemes introduction those aged 18 get zero taper-relief, those aged 60+ get full relief.

          “Whilst at the same time, a huge campaign on getting people to eat more healthily and take more exercise that would in turn save billions on NHS bills.”

          How about simply returning all those franchised out local sports centres to the public sector, like they used to be, free at the point of use?

          It is not what we eat, people have always eaten foods that can cause obesity, the fact that working age men and woman used to burnt off those calories at work 8+ hours, five and half day each week; children were sent out the ‘house’ to play for hours, and at school double-double PE was not unheard of, or life skills were actively taught such as map orientating, even vegetable gardening (rather than being cooped up in a classroom); whilst many a ‘housewife’ burnt off the calories doing manual house-work – washing cloths at the washboard, on hands and knees with dustpan and brush etc. all have been (conveniently?) forgotten about by the Woke who protest about unhealthy ultra-processed foods, all whilst sipping their unhealthy ultra-processed designer-coffee from its throwaway cup…

          1. Martin in Bristol
            December 21, 2024

            A mixed health system is more common in the many nations that have better systems than the UK Jerry.
            Those in employment get health insurance cover.
            Those less well off or those who have disabilities or those who are unemployed or are retired get free health cover.
            I think we should look at the best systems in the world and see if copying best practice and getting best outcomes could happen for us.
            You seem frightened of any change.
            I agree with Ed M

          2. Ed M
            December 21, 2024

            Your analogy doesn’t work as car insurance is about profit where as the NHS isn’t!
            Your analogy is a bit like those who support profit for the water industry when one water company is ÂŁ15 Billion in debt and the same one (or another – I forget which, doesn’t really matter) has made ÂŁ75 Billion profit over 30 years without investing money in the water industry – and the ‘profit’ largely going to foreigners ..

          3. Ed M
            December 21, 2024

            ‘Martin in Bristol’

            Your response is practical / business-like as opposed to ideological

          4. Ed M
            December 21, 2024

            Also, emergency care (including cancer treatment etc) is free for all.
            You simply can never charge for that (and whatever you think personally, doctors and nurses would simply refuse to work in the NHS otherwise).
            But what you can charge for is things like hip replacements. That would come under the NHS insurance. And if you didn’t have insurance, you can start paying it at any time but you’d be at the bottom of the list for the next hip replacement. So the NHS insurance is really a way of paying to get to the top of the list for non-emergency / non-critical treatment (and other things too).
            And it would obviously have to be means tested. The very poor can’t be expected to pay the insurance (and the doctors and nurses would obviously refuse to comply if the most vulnerable to not have access to free medical insurance).
            You can never privatise the NHS. That would be madness. But there’s lots of ways you can charge money that reflects, to a degree, the private sector.

          5. jerry
            December 22, 2024

            @MiB; Try replying to what I actually said…
            I was agreeing with Ed M, with one caveat, and as such we should copy the German system!

          6. jerry
            December 22, 2024

            @Ed M; “[jerry’s] analogy doesn’t work as car insurance is about profit where as the NHS isn’t!”

            But for many who wish to change how the the NHS operates medical insurance is about profit, that is now any **commercial insurance** [1] works, the providers are in business NOT to pay out, or at least reduce their liability to the minimum, hence why they employee ‘loss adjusters’ and have co-pay agreements written into the small print etc.

            [1] if near compulsory health insurance is to be Mutualised, were every penny of someones premium is used to fund health care, why change from the current socialized model paid for via taxes?!

      2. hefner
        December 20, 2024

        3-NOP (Bovaer) was first developed by DSM (originally a Dutch company then bought by a Swiss one) and announced in 2019 then tested in Denmark, Norway, UK, Ireland, Netherlands in 2020. It has been authorised for use in Australia (May 2021), the EU (April 2022), UK (March 2023), Canada (April 2024), USA (May 2024).
        Only with the recent campaign in the Daily Mail has it surged as a bit of news, to which the UK Food Standard Agency has responded on 05/12/2024 (food.gov.blog.uk ‘Bovaer cow feed additive explained’.)

        1. Donna
          December 20, 2024

          The Covid gene therapies were given licences across the western world. And they’re obviously both defective and downright dangerous. (Money talks).

          1. Lifelogic
            December 21, 2024

            +1

          2. jerry
            December 21, 2024

            @Donna; No one was ever forced to take the CV19 vaccine, yes some had to make career choices, to bad, life’s a bitch at times, want a job in Health Care or whatever, have all the required vaccine’s; or go get a job flipping burgers!

            No vaccine can be deemed statistically 100% safe, on the other hand non use can be proven 100% unsafe, as we have seen at the time and since the safety of the combined MMR vaccine were raised, the fact that the three separate vaccines all have their own statistical risks passed over the heads of those campaigning.

          3. Lifelogic
            December 21, 2024

            They were lied to by the Government, experts, vaccine regulators, drug companies
 and heavily coerced too by people like Handcock, Whitty, Javid
 plus most people had no need of them anyway – even had they been remotely safe and effective. They did far more harm than good as is now very clear indeed and many harms are still coming to light and will be for some considerable time.

          4. jerry
            December 21, 2024

            @LL; What utter bilge water, pure conspiracy theories, there being more proof a London Bus landed on the moon – after all the Daily Sport ‘newspaper’ published the pictures!… 😼

            Those pushing the theory that the CV19 vaccines caused harm have a credibility problem, given many are the same groups of people who kept claiming there were likely to have been issues of Comorbidity and Multimorbidity to explain excess Covid 19 deaths. In other words it wasn’t the virus that killed but the (un)known co-condition. If that was true of the virus it is also reasonable to assume a similar reaction being possible after receiving the vaccine – and indeed some patients were officially advised *not* to have specific -or any- CV19 vaccines.

          5. Sam
            December 21, 2024

            No one was ever forced….says Jerry
            Well not if you ever wanted to travel or keep your livlihood and chosen career..
            go get a job flipping burgers…
            An truly amazing lack of empathy for other people.

          6. jerry
            December 22, 2024

            @Sam; Perhaps. But is it not the same lack of empathy shown by those who wanted to imprison the elderly and the sick, along with their careers/families, just so a minority of those who hated the idea of “Lockdown” could carry on visiting the pub with their mates or whatever? What go’s around tends to come around…

        2. Sam
          December 20, 2024

          How much will this addition of 3-NOP in cattle in the UK, reduce global temperatures hefner.
          And how much will it cost.
          Does anyone know?

      3. Original Richard
        December 20, 2024

        IW :

        Bovaer is unnecessary. Methane is 0.00017% or 2 molecules per million of the Earth’s atmosphere and compares to CO2 at 400 molecules per million and water vapour which varies between 0 at the poles and 40,000 molecules per million in the humid tropics. Furthermore Shula and Ott have shown both theoretically and experimentally that there is no greenhouse gas effect at all at the Earth’s surface because of the thermalisation of all the greenhouse gas molecules

        1. Lifelogic
          December 21, 2024

          +1

        2. Lifelogic
          December 21, 2024

          I do not know how this drug reduces cow methane but clearly some of this drug (or other modified cow chemicals caused by this drug) are very likely make it into humans when they eat the meat products. So how can they possible know this is safe at this point? Plus there are no environmental upsides anyway so why take the risk? Also will the chemical perhaps slow growth in the cow or have other negative effects. Like giving Covid vaccines to young health people or people who had had Covid there were no upsides and were huge negatives so why. In the case is this drug there may be huge negative so why take the risk for no gain?

          1. Donna
            December 21, 2024

            Before the Americans started exterminating the herds of bison roaming the Great Plains, it is estimated there were up to 100 million of them …. all burping and farting away. So why wasn’t the planet overloaded with methane then?

            It has nothing really to do with methane reduction and everything to do with:

            a) providing a permanent source of funding for the chemical companies developing it (and similar products)
            b) locking dairy farms into the Net Zero lunacy – because they will have to report on dairy farming methane reduction in order for the Government to count it towards their Net Zero fantasy-figures

        3. hefner
          December 21, 2024

          Shula and Ott’s ‘The ‘missing link’ in the greenhouse effect’, 2024, 2nd paragraph of p.24, tell us that ‘Because this is a convection-based model, a global circulation model based on the real mechanism of heat transfer would likely require orders of magnitude more computing power than the current radiative transfer based GCM models’.

          It is a very interesting point as these radiative transfer based GCMs are part and parcel of the operational weather forecasts since the 1970s.
          Are S&O telling us that we should not have had weather forecasts these last fifty years and should still be waiting for bigger computers able to handle their ‘convection-based’ GCM to, one day in the future, possibly figure out whether we have to take an umbrella going outside?

    3. Roy Grainger
      December 20, 2024

      “Trump have made clear is a non-negotiable starting point to a deal”.

      You don’t have any experience of negotiating do you ?

      Greg Hands had a good observation of how the EU negotiate:

      EU demands become preconditions
      Mutually beneficial UK and EU factors become UK demands
      UK demands become impossible

      1. Lifelogic
        December 20, 2024

        +1

    4. Mickey Taking
      December 20, 2024

      ‘we were such a powerful player’ as Cameron found out when he explained to all the EU top-knobs, you need to give me something to support staying, or else risk the UK Ref vote for Leaving might win! And they sent him home with tail between his legs, trying hard not to look very pissed off.

    5. Donna
      December 20, 2024

      Why do we have to accept crated pork products; battery chickens and eggs; contaminated boaver milk and all the other awful food standards imposed by the EU?

      At least I’d be able to choose NOT to eat American beef.

    6. Denis Cooper
      December 20, 2024

      You may recall that in 2013 David Cameron held up the EU’s proposed trade deal with the US, TTIP, as a good reason for us to stay in the EU, and I said then that it would be worth very little to us and would not justify any significant concessions whether over food standards or healthcare or whatever:

      http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2016/02/13/lets-get-rid-of-eu-austerity/#comment-801195

      And the same for a UK-US free trade deal:

      http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2023/04/13/what-the-pm-and-president-should-have-said-in-ulster/#comment-1382750

      “A trade agreement with the US could increase UK GDP in the long run by around 0.07% … ”

      If Trump carried out his threat and imposed higher tariffs on imports from the UK then that would have to be recalculated, no longer seeking a small potential gain but to avoid losing some of what we already have without a special trade deal, but the magnitude of that would still be a one-off loss of some tenths of a percent of GDP:

      http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2024/11/13/u-k-trade-does-too-well/#comment-1484169

      “Basically it is a lot of fuss about nothing, just an excuse for Rejoiners to push out more propaganda.”

    7. MFD
      December 20, 2024

      Well said Sir John! we dont need the failing eu, sit back and watch, they are a crashing failure- to-many at the top are filling their deep pockets!

    8. a-tracy
      December 20, 2024

      Why would they sell the NHS to the USA? First, they spend a lot of money on medical care in the States $12,555 in 2022, $4000 more than any other high income nation and most only spend half, and their prescriptions.

      Finland is noted to have the best efficiency and quality (although they probably don’t treat the whole world for free), Denmark is a publicly funded healthcare system. There are many funded similarly to ours but are better than the UK NHS management can achieve.

    9. Lynn Atkinson
      December 20, 2024

      We could not give the NHS away at any price – don’t you understand it makes a loss of ÂŁ2.5 billion a year and wants to lose more?

      1. Lifelogic
        December 21, 2024

        Well to sell parts of it it would obviously have to be allowed to charge fees.

  4. Mark B
    December 20, 2024

    Good morning.

    On the back of previous discussions regarding the kind of people and skills needed for management, I would say Lord Mandelson is as good as any I can think of, other than Lord Frost.

    Lord Mandelson, whist I do not like the man from a political point of view, for I see him as one of the Cheif Architects of Blairism and the New Labour Project which has, and continues, to do much harm to this country, he is nonetheless as skilled and well connected person. Something I think one needs.

    For Starmer this is actually quite a shrewed appointment. For he has a very key and trusted ally in Lord Mandelson who can be relied up to pour soothing oils over what could be a testing relationship if, as our kind host alludes to, a worrying time between the US and UK over key issues such as our relationship with the EU and matters of the Chagos Islands.

    1. Nigl
      December 20, 2024

      As expected we are getting the usual pile ins about Mandleson. Too much personal animus and none understanding the politics. You are spot on about his skills, knowledge and contacts. He played a key role in getting Blair elected and has been important to Starmer.

      I don’t like him but people need to understand entrenched dislikes get you now where in the world of diplomacy.

      In any event Trump will do what Trump wants and thinks is the best for the US. So the appointment of Mandleson will at best, affect the margins. Musk and Farage look more important players.

    2. MFD
      December 20, 2024

      +1

    3. a-tracy
      December 20, 2024

      What other high-profile Labour people are there with sufficient stature?

      Mandelson described Trump as “a danger to the world” and “a little short of a white nationalist and racist”. These people have a lot of ground to cover. Its a strange pick when he has previously said “Mr Trump would never be seen to embody British Values”.

      On the contrary Trump’s mother was British and he is proud of his Scottish heritage, he loves the Royal Family.

      This is definitely an EU Global you will do this Sir Starmer.

    4. formula57
      December 20, 2024

      @ Mark B “For Starmer this is actually quite a shrewed appointment” – perhaps, and irresponsible to speculate as I do that Starmer thereby gets a ready-made replacement to Lammy, should he need one ever.

    5. Mark
      December 21, 2024

      I recall a fly on the wall documentary while he was an EU Comissioner which showed that he was able to interact reasonably diplomatically with the Berlaymont bureaucracy and fellow Commissioners. But perhaps they were more or less on the same side.

  5. JayCee
    December 20, 2024

    Very poor appointment but in line with the direction Labour are taking.
    Mandleson is very Pro-EU, almost a zealot. Not a man I would turn my back on.

  6. Corky
    December 20, 2024

    Trump is no fool, and perfectly capable of threatening tariffs to stop Chagos giveaway and Brexit betrayal.

  7. MPC
    December 20, 2024

    A condition on everyone receiving an EU pension is to continue to promote the EU’s interests. Mr Mandelson is now perfectly placed to do that.

    1. Donna
      December 20, 2024

      Precisely. He is not “our” Ambassador.

    2. Denis Cooper
      December 20, 2024

      Good job we have Nigel to explain that to Trump.

      1. Chris S
        December 20, 2024

        Absolutely !

    3. Mickey Taking
      December 20, 2024

      and dodgy mortgages.

    4. hefner
      December 22, 2024

      MPC, Does that apply to Mr Farage? After spending 10.5 years as a MEP, will he renounce when he turns 63 the 3.5% of the annual salary he was getting when he was there?
      That’s a bit more than an annual €44k he is entitled to.

      And do you think NF is going to continue to ®promote the EU’s interests’?

  8. Lifelogic
    December 20, 2024

    On the Right Hon Bridget Phillipson was criticised by multiple MPs after she posted on X “Our state schools need teachers more than private schools need embossed stationery. Our children need mental health support more than private schools need new pools. Our students need careers advice more than private schools need AstroTurf pitches.” Conservative MP Graham Stuart correctly described her post as “malicious and spiteful”, and called for an apology. Opposition whip, Luke Evans, said the post “reeks of prejudice and propagates a class war” and shadow treasury minister, Nigel Huddleston, said of it “Parents who send their children to independent schools, who pay twice on their children’s education, deserve better than to be treated with contempt by their government’s education secretary.

    Huddleston was wrong though it is not twice but it will be four times with VAT too. They pay taxes for the state system that they do not use, then on earning to pay the school fees (Tax and NI) then the school fees and soon VAT on top of those too. The policies will not even raise any tax it is pure evil and spite. I went to a state school.

    Listen to the latest excellent Daily Sceptic podcast on free speech etc.

  9. Lifelogic
    December 20, 2024

    From the Telegraph.
    “More than half of people in the UK receive more in benefits than they contribute in taxes, official figures show.

    A total of 52.6pc lived in households that received more from the state than they paid to the Treasury last year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

    The figures underscore the challenge facing Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves as they try to tackle a ballooning sickness benefit bill and pressures from an ageing population.

    The analysis, which reveals a decrease from 53.6pc the previous year and covers the 12 months to March 2023, factors in both cash benefits and the use of public services such as the NHS, schools and free childcare. So not paying anything in to the system for defence, police and other government costs.”

    For recent immigrants as they earn less and often have more children it will be more like 75% I suspect.

    So how do we escape ever more people voting to help themselves to other peoples money and an economic socialist doom loop?

    1. Christine
      December 20, 2024

      We don’t escape it. It is all part of their plan to make the majority dependent on the state. Look forward to the introduction of Universal Basic Income. The Great Reset is in full swing. We only have a few years to avoid the dystopian world they have planned for us. They will tighten their grip on us with their absurd Net Zero policies and increases in taxes until we beg them to lock us in their 15-minute cities living off highly processed food rations. They are following the same path China took to make their people accept communism. Meanwhile, the elites will be flying around the world in their private jets living a life of luxury. Step back and you will see the big picture.

    2. Mickey Taking
      December 20, 2024

      answer – – remove them?

    3. Donna
      December 20, 2024

      That statistic will include people receiving the State Pension, having paid in all their lives.

      It’s the welfare-claiming recent arrivals and their dependants who are proving that you can have a welfare state or you can have mass immigration ….. you can’t have both.

      1. Denis Cooper
        December 20, 2024

        As they age many people cross from the ‘net contributor’ category to the ‘net recipient’ category.

    4. Ed M
      December 20, 2024

      We need to be more like the Poles in Poland. Focus more on traditional moral values including work ethic. And focusing on the family and patriotism over WOKE issues.

  10. Lifelogic
    December 20, 2024

    Has Starmer made any good appointments? I initially though Wes Streeting was reasonably OK but the NHS are still pushing net harm Covid Vaccines and he even things people should shut up about the unsafe conviction of Lucy Letby so as to save the feeling of the families involved. Why would they feel happier if this (clearly very unsafe) conviction is retained?

    1. Lifelogic
      December 20, 2024

      All his appointments all seem to be socialists, big government, high tax, politics of envy, net zero zealots, pro open door immigration & remoaners so all are wrong on seven rather major issues.

      1. Lifelogic
        December 20, 2024

        Missed off pro rigged markets (energy, housing, VAT on school fees, the NHS…), pro more workers rights (which harms worker, employees and growth).

        But then the last 14 years of the Con-Socialist were largely just the same.

      2. IanT
        December 20, 2024

        Yes, it’s all come as a complete suprise. 🙂

    2. Bloke
      December 20, 2024

      Wes Streeting appears to be one of the few in Labour’s cabinet intent on achieving better. It’s too early to assess the effect of his performance.
      However unlikely it might be, if Lucy Letby is innocent of any of the crimes she has been found guilty for, some retrial should reveal the truth.

      1. Lifelogic
        December 20, 2024

        The conviction is certainly unsafe, she must be give an appeal and immediately. She should be let out pending this they are short of cells and she would be no danger to anyone at all.

        1. Bloke
          December 20, 2024

          She might be innocent of some, but guilty of others. If the other convictions are valid, imprisonment should stand for the duration of their sentence. ‘No danger to anyone’ is unknown. Being short of cells is an inadequate reason to endanger others.

  11. Sakara Gold
    December 20, 2024

    Lord Mandelson is undeniably an experienced politician. However, any trade agreement that he is able to negotiate will be in America’s favour – they are hard-nosed, highly successful business folk and will look after their own interests first

    Meanwhile, Trump is having trouble with the Republican base in the Senate and the House, who are refusing to kowtow to his demands on the debt ceiling, nor the bipartisan agreement on the budget worked out by his acolyte Mike Johnson – which he has rejected. Likewise, many of Trump’s proposed government heads have been refused at Senate hearings

    Trump will find that as this is the last time he will be President, the GOP will be looking to 2028 and many of his more outlandish proposed policy changes will have trouble getting passed.

    1. Ed M
      December 20, 2024

      Exactly. Trump loves the Brits but as long as he’s in charge and calls the shots!
      Americans are a few steps ahead of us Brits / Europeans (and I worked for an American company for years. They’re tough). That’s just how it is.
      Where as it’s much easer to get a good deal with Europeans. Europeans are less hard-nosed.

    2. Martin in Bristol
      December 21, 2024

      The budget vote has gone in his favour SG
      You must be very disappointed.

      1. hefner
        December 22, 2024

        Are you sure? My understanding of the vote this Saturday 21st is that Trump’s proposal of raising the debt limit was rejected.
        apnews.com 22/12/2024 02:06PM GMT.

  12. Craig Jones
    December 20, 2024

    Dear Mr. Redwood,
    once again, you have made some very good points. Mandelson is a totally committed Europhile, it will be interesting to see if the Chagos move is changed over the coming weeks/months.
    I doubt it, given most politicians seem incapable of admitting they have made a mistake.
    Kind regards
    Craig Jones

  13. Rod Evans
    December 20, 2024

    Te choice of Lord Mandelson is designed to provide an EU ambassador in Washington and has no advantage for the UK whatsoever.
    It is Starmer and Lammy’s way of putting the middle finger up to Trump. Consequently Trump and his administration will not be welcomed as an alternative by the EU leaning Labour party. It with its desire to re-join/align completely with Brussels, with puch that objective every time and Mandelson is the ideal tool to present it.
    It is simply no more that the ongoing scorched earth policy adopted by the Democrats to thwart Trump and actual democracy.

    1. Lifelogic
      December 20, 2024

      Looks that way to me.

    2. Ed M
      December 20, 2024

      I think you’re over-egging the point.
      This is all small fry compared to the tough challenge of sorting out the Tory Party so that we can get back into power and with a strong government.
      Going on about this is like people going on about what kind of font Apple computers should use on their computers. When the real focus is how to create great computers from the POV of design and technology.
      The Tories have to think big – and like entrepreneurs – and not like moaning Minnies complaining about minutiae.
      In fairness for Reform and all their faults, this is something they grasp.

  14. Narrow Shoulders
    December 20, 2024

    Instead of speaking truth to power Mandelson will speak his truth to power.

    Be afraid, be very afraid.

    1. Bloke
      December 20, 2024

      Narrow Shoulders:
      His ‘truth’ has been regarded as doubtful.
      In goodness, Truth is everyone’s most loyal friend.
      It is only those in darkness who fear truth: reflecting white-hot light on their bad deeds.

    2. Ed M
      December 20, 2024

      No, nothing to be afraid of at all. Pretty much red-herring stuff.

  15. Sir Joe Soap
    December 20, 2024

    Trump will feed back to the Reform people who in turn will publicise then Starmer will back peddle. That’s the best way to embarrass him and Mandleson. The latter will grow tired and frustrated with this. Expect fireworks of some sort.

    1. Lifelogic
      December 20, 2024

      +1

  16. Bloke
    December 20, 2024

    One wonders how Peter Mandelson qualified to gain authority in office or be appointed as a Lord. He also received a Legion of Honour award, yet many have questioned his loyalty to truth and track record.
    He and David Lammy are a strange combination, perhaps the most inappropriate to pursue future cordial relations with the USA. His reincarnation into action seems merely the latest in the sequence of Sir Keir Starmer’s numerous bad decisions, with worse to follow.

  17. Roy Grainger
    December 20, 2024

    I seem to recall at one point Nigel Farage said that Mandelson was a good choice for US Ambassador. I can’t find the reference now but I remember because it seemed so unexpected. I think Mandelson is probably the best of a bad Labour bunch and may well open up channels to Reform to smooth the way with Trump, as we know Mandelson has no loyalty to anyone but himself.

  18. Bryan Harris
    December 20, 2024

    The U.K. should not copy the EU plan to impose high and wide ranging carbon based tariffs under the so called carbon border mechanism.

    Unfortunately the reality is that we are destined to move ever closer to the EU position. To make sure this happens Starmer has created a 100 strong force of civil servants to keep us in line with the EU.

    Yes, Mandelson is a bad choice to represent the UK at any level, but he is being rewarded for his past support of Labour and helping Blair in so many ways that did harm to the UK.

    If I were Trump I’d bypass Mandelson at every turn and make his representations pointless. I’m sure Trump knows what sort of a man Mandelson is. That said, Trump is a great one for building bridges – let’s see if he can turn this socialist dinosaur.

  19. Keith from Leeds
    December 20, 2024

    I cannot see Mandelson and Trump getting on. The appointment tells us everything about the low calibre of people available for such a senior post. If Mandelson is the best we have got, in Keir Starmer’s opinion, no wonder we have such a pathetic cabinet.
    You would think after Lammy, Reeves, Rayner and Cooper, it could not get any worse but Mandelson shows it can!
    Mandelson’s EU connections should have disqualified him from any government job. The fact that they did not show Starmers’ contempt for Brexit.

    1. Bryan Harris
      December 20, 2024

      @Keith +99

  20. Original Richard
    December 20, 2024

    A poor choice for whom? As others have already pointed out Lord Mandelson will be working for the EU which he must do to keep his EU pension.

    Forget the idea of a growing UK economy as our PM announced at COP29 that our NDC is to reduce our CO2 emissions by 81% by 2035. This requires considerable de-growth and aligning with the EU will help with this goal, such as implementing CBAM, a curious measure when we are told that our energy costs will be the cheapest in the world as green energy from wind and sun is free.

    Interesting item in the Daily Sceptic today about how the HoL are amending every piece of legislation to include Net Zero.

  21. Derek
    December 20, 2024

    This is an outrageous and insulting appointment. An article in the DT today tells of Mandelson, in 2019, revealing, to an Italian journalist, the then POTUS was “a danger to the world” and “a little short of a white nationalist and racist”.
    Now, his target President, Donald Trump, takes over again in the Whitehouse next month. What?
    What on earth goes through the mind of our new PM to appoint such a disastrous person? To me, it looks like putting two fingers up to Mr Trump and I believe his team might see it the same way.
    How does a man so dreadfully lacking in political skillfulness ever get to run OUR country? Good fortune and the FPTP system, I guess, as it’s not his political expertise and natural charisma.
    Until ‘change’ is properly enforced, the disastrous, ‘team’ Starmer, continues to cause us more ills and degeneration in their deluded crusade to maintain Red socialism. And there’ll be no change until they are removed from power. The sooner the better for the future of OUR country.

    1. rose
      December 20, 2024

      If we had PR, someone like Starmer could be PM for a generation. Look how mediocre and how lethal Frau Merkel was.

      1. hefner
        December 21, 2024

        Mrs Merkel was so ‘mediocre’ and ‘lethal’ that she was elected four times by the German people (2005, 2009, 2013, 2017) and contrary to some other heads of state was not replaced in a ‘coup’ but decided when she would retire.
        Under her leadership Germany went from ‘sick man of Europe’ to economic powerhouse, but not all was rosy (reuters.com, 14/09/2021 ‘Marking Merkel’.)

        1. rose
          December 22, 2024

          Her chickens are coming home to roost now – no cheap and secure energy, no strong manufacturing, no border security (they are blaming her for the latest atrocity), no strong economy, no strong national financial position, no national unity, etc. How are the mighty fallen. With FPTP it might have been different. For example, she or a better Chancellor would not have been compelled by the Greens to do away with nuclear power.

          1. hefner
            December 22, 2024

            What a poor knowledge (or lack of curiosity)!
            At the time of Mrs Merkel deciding to do away with nuclear power after Fukushima (03/2011) the German Government (2011) was a coalition of CDU/CSU and FDP. Die Gruenen only entered the federal governmental coalition under Scholz in 
 2021.
            If you refer to the Land regional election in Baden-Wuerttemberg at the end of March 2011 (which I very much doubt) there had been Greens in that assembly since 1980.

          2. rose
            December 22, 2024

            Do you really think in that situation that the Greens and the PR system had no influence on a politician as wily as Frau Merkel?

          3. rose
            December 22, 2024

            Perhaps you would like to sneer at Reuter’s as well?

            “Merkel maps nuclear exit with eye on Green vote
            By Reuters
            May 30, 2011 4:21 PM GMT+1Updated 14 years ago

            Summary
            Merkel plans rapid nuclear exit by 2022
            Her coalition struggles as Greens make gains
            Business, conservatives question strategy
            By Stephen Brown…”

      2. Derek
        December 21, 2024

        I can’t see how. If PR were in operation the best he could hope for would be a minority Government. It’s FPTP thats given him such a huge advantage.

        1. rose
          December 22, 2024

          You would soon see how if we had it; also that we could never get rid of it. You can’t get the government out with PR, unlike FPTP. You might think you have voted them out but the same old faces are there the next day, grinning at you under a new name or arrangement. Sometimes it may take months or even a year. They get adept at it, fixing it all behind the scenes with no input from the public. Then, hey presto, a government no-one voted for. A system made for Starmer where manifestos are irrelevant.

          1. hefner
            December 22, 2024

            Incredible, you confuse the (dis)advantages of FPTP vs a more PR-like voting system with the potential number of parliamentary parties. FPTP works fine when only two parties are likely to be able to get to Government.
            As soon as more than two are of similar size it is rather difficult to claim (as so many do it here) that FPTP is the best voting system.
            As seen in the last UK GE, I doubt that many people here are happy with FPTP.

            With PR ‘we could never get rid of it’. Tell that to the Italians who have a 75% PR, 25% FPTP voting system.

          2. rose
            December 22, 2024

            How have the Italians been able to get rid of their corrupt voting system? They can’t even get out of the euro.

          3. hefner
            December 23, 2024

            If as you pretend the Italians wanted to be out of the EZ Fratelli d’Italia might have put that demand in their manifesto. On the contrary they put ‘piena adesione’ (full support) to EU in their programme.

            You should really clue yourself on what the right-wing parties in Italy (FdI, Liga, Forza) actually want with reference to the euro and the EU.

          4. rose
            December 23, 2024

            I have. You should try being a little less presumptuous. It is very difficult to get a policy like that through with PR so you don’t put it in the manifesto. It didn’t stop the euro establishment suspecting Berlusconi wanted to do it and therefore toppling him. We would never have got Brexit with PR.

          5. hefner
            December 23, 2024

            Why not, the Brexit vote was a referendum, which by definition is proportional, nothing to do with FPTP.
            Are you linked to confused.com, by any chance?

          6. rose
            December 24, 2024

            Because there had to be a majority government prepared to grant us the referendum. A coalition would not have done it.

    2. Peter Gardner
      December 20, 2024

      Trouble is every potential Labour candidate also hates Donald Trump and everything he stands for. The advantage of Mandelson is that he is a chameleon like automaton with not a single once of morality, no moral compass. He is AI in a human body. Pay him enough and he’ll do anything. The question really is what Starmer’s hateful Gang will pay him to do. You can be sure it won’t be good for the UK.

      1. hefner
        December 25, 2024

        Rose, In 2015 there was a 66.4% turnout and the Conservatives got 36.9% of the vote, aka 24.5% of the electorate.
        If you call that a majority, yes I agree, only a voting system like FPTP together with a weak PM like Cameron could give you a Brexit referendum.

  22. Lynn Atkinson
    December 20, 2024

    Here is another little issue for Mandleson to get his teeth into:

    ‘Europe and the U.S. have collectively spent 310 billion euros on Ukraine, and with that amount, “miracles” could have been made in the European economy’ said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor OrbĂĄn.

    Just imagine what conservative governments could have done simply by NOT extracting that amount in taxes?

  23. Ukret123
    December 20, 2024

    Mandelson has a dubious track record and may have impressed the Biden clan but not Trump. He may be offered an extra portion like Lammy, but not much more, given his comments about Trump.
    He represents the London elite like Starmer (Lord M and Sir S mean little to many both here and in the USA).

    1. Ukret123
      December 20, 2024

      Meanwhile Shadow energy secretary, said: “Labour’s net zero zealotry will mean us sending billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money and British jobs to China, the world’s largest polluter, all in the name of climate change “.
      170,000 jobs for China, who Mandelson favours and Trump hates.

  24. mancunius
    December 20, 2024

    Peter Mandelson can only be deliberately *intended* to be a disaster as Ambassador to Washington. Starmer’s aim is clearly to cause the maximum rift between ourselves and the US, in a classic act of marxist disruption. The fact that Mandelson replaces a seasoned, highly competent professional in Karen Pierce will only highlight his superficiality; and his known EU oath of loyalty prioritising Brussels over the interests of the UK will exclude him from being of any use to us or to the US.
    I sense though that he will not be there for very long, resigning within a year or so (and not entirely voluntarily).

    1. Peter Gardner
      December 20, 2024

      Indeed, as an AI bot in human form, Mandelson would have no qualms about betraying his country.

  25. Alan Paul Joyce
    December 20, 2024

    Dear Mr. Redwood,

    Apologies if this point has already been made by one of your readers. The appointment of Mandelson, with his track record, seems to have been designed to allow Starmer to say something like…well, we can’t get a good relationship or a beneficial trade deal with the US so we’ll have to throw our lot in with the EU.

    Anyway, enough of the conspiracy theories but how can a person who had to resign from government twice in disgrace be rewarded with such a prestigious position? So much for Starmer’s pledge to clean up politics.

    There is no wonder that the vast majority of politicians are held in such contempt by the public. They make Estate Agents, Double-Glazing salesmen or even that bane of modern life, Telephone Scammers, look like paragons of virtue.

  26. Mickey Taking
    December 20, 2024

    Another Labour promise abandoned.-
    The list of new peers, external contains 18 men and 20 women. A series of Labour MPs who lost their seats or stood down at the last election will now join the House of Lords.
    In 2022, Labour said it planned to abolish the 805-member Lords, replacing it with a “new, reformed upper chamber”. But this was watered down before July’s election, with Labour committing to consult on plans for an alternative second chamber, whilst immediately axing the 92 places for hereditary peers and introducing a retirement age of 80.
    The party also vowed to introduce new rules on participation, and a new process to make it easier to remove “disgraced” peers. To get their legislation through parliament at speed Labour will need to be able to win major votes in the House of Lords.
    The Conservatives have the most peers, with 273, while Labour has 187 and the Liberal Democrats have 78.
    There are also 184 “crossbench” peers who are not aligned to any party.The peers will now be entitled to a tax-free ÂŁ361 daily allowance – plus travel expenses – when they attend Parliament.

  27. Peter Gardner
    December 20, 2024

    How can Starmer’s lot possibly negotiate a favourable trade deal with the USA whilst also, by inclination, by intent and by the constraints of Sunak’s Windsor Framework, keeping the UK in close regulatory alignment with the EU? It cannot be done. The Windsor Framework also gives the EU the right unilaterally to take action against the UK if it believes UK has gained some unfair advantage or become more competitive. Any EU retaliation against US tariffs on EU exports to the US will also be visited upon the UK. Northern Ireland will again be a key point of leverage. US goods imported to UK will be prohibited from entering Northern Ireland and will have to be labelled as such and will not be eligible to pass through the ‘Green Lane’ and will also be labelled ‘not for EU’ lest they somehow cross The Channel. Rules of origin will be tightened to reduce the allowed amount of imported components and material from the US in UK’s exports into the EU. And so on and so on.

  28. Linda Brown
    December 21, 2024

    Starmer is a stubborn man as is Reeves so we have a double problem here. Can’t they find anyone with a clean background these days? The man has been found wanting in many areas and I would not appoint him to anything. Better he goes off into the sunset with a few others and we try to forget and learn from our mistakes from having them in positions of power in the first place. I can think of some good people in The Lords but they are all Brexit supporters so I suppose I am not the best to ask who the Ambassador should be. I see trouble ahead with the US which could throw us back into the hand of the dreaded EU. I am not looking forward to 2025 at all and shall not be celebrating the year in. First time ever I have felt like this.

  29. rose
    December 22, 2024

    The obvious answer is to leave Dame Karen in place. Tactful, intelligent, and Trump likes her.

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