Lord Mandelson expected to be named as UK ambassador to US

The prime minister is expected to name Lord Peter Mandelson - one of the best known figures in British politics - as the UK's next ambassador to the US.

The Labour grandee served in multiple ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before taking up a life peerage in the Lords, and was considered to be one of the frontrunners for the position.

Dubbed the "Prince of Darkness" during his years as New Labour's spin doctor, the 71-year-old will now be the key link between the prime minister and Donald Trump's incoming administration during a crucial time for US-UK diplomacy.

As first reported in The Times, Lord Mandelson will replace Dame Karen Pierce, whose term in Washington DC is due to end as Trump enters the White House in early 2025.

UK ambassadors are normally career diplomats or civil servants, but Downing Street said choosing a leading Labour politician "shows just how importantly we see our relationship with the Trump administration".

Labour Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said Lord Mandelson would make "an excellent appointment" as US ambassador.

Kinnock, whose father Neil Kinnock gave Lord Mandelson his first senior role in Labour in the 1980s, pointed to the former EU Trade Commissioner's "really strong experience in trade".

"He's got very good political contacts in Washington DC and I think his appointment would be a reflection of the importance of the US-UK special relationship and I think Peter Mandelson would be a very good person to take that relationship forward," Kinnock added.

But Lord Mandelson has been a divisive figures in British politics over many years.

He resigned twice as a minister - once for failing to declare a home loan from a cabinet colleague, and a second time over accusations of using his position to influence a passport application.

As a staunch critic of Brexit and advocate for global free-trade, he does not appear to be an obvious fit with the incoming Trump administration.

But the former cabinet minister and EU trade negotiator has enormous political experience, and Downing Street may have judged that sending someone so close to the big political figures in the UK may go down well at the White House.

Lord Mandelson was the Labour MP for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, during which time he served as Northern Ireland secretary and business secretary under Blair. He stood down as an MP in 2004 to become a European Commissioner before returning to the UK to become Gordon Brown's most senior minister.

Throughout his career Lord Mandelson has been seen as a networker, cultivating contacts with senior figures in global and domestic politics.

Sir Keir said on Thursday the UK would "have to make sure that we avoid tariffs" when asked about Trump's comments, and reiterated that he wanted to improve trade with Washington.

Trump has pledged to impose wide-ranging tariffs on his first day in office, which experts say could cost the UK £22bn.

North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher makes sense of US politics in his twice weekly US Election Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.