 "Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during the New York Young Republican Club's annual gala at Cipriani Wall Street, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New York. Image- AP")
Labour is grappling with internal disagreements over Lord Mandelson’s proposal to collaborate with Nigel Farage in efforts to strengthen ties with Donald Trump.
According to The Telegraph, Lord Mandelson, the newly appointed ambassador to the US intends to enlist Farage, leader of Reform UK and an ally of the president-elect, to build rapport with Trump’s team.
However, some Labour MPs have expressed concerns, warning that involving Farage could harm the party’s reputation. One MP stated that no British government should endorse “the values of the Reform Party.”
The Telegraph reported that Mandelson is prepared to reach out to Farage as part of a strategy to dissuade Trump from imposing tariffs that could lead to a trade war with Britain. Senior Labour members have cautioned against engaging with right-wing figures, fearing it could amplify their political influence.
Recently, a top adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, Chris LaCivita, has sparked controversy by calling the incoming UK ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson, “an absolute moron.”
LaCivita, a co-campaign manager for Trump’s presidential election campaign, took to social media to criticize the British government’s decision, stating it was replacing a “professional universally respected ambassador with an absolute moron.” He also suggested Lord Mandelson “should stay home.”
The remarks have drawn attention to the diplomatic ties between the US and the UK as both nations prepare for the Trump administration.
But a source close to Lord Mandelson, a former EU commissioner for trade, told The Telegraph: “I am sure that would be a view held by some, but not those who need to conduct UK-US relations in the most optimum way.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsOne Labour MP told The Telegraph on Monday: “Peter Mandelson has for a long time been an advocate for a shift to American-style free market liberalism which is different to how most people see our country as a beacon of fairness.
“Farage may be his soulmate on these issues. But Trump and Musk want to see our great country as a US outpost, doing Washington’s bidding. Peter Mandelson now going the US capital – we are living in dangerous times “
Another MP told The Telegraph “No government should provide a platform for people who hold the values of the Reform Party. Instead, it must develop a programme of diplomacy and trade, rooted in Labour values, to rebuild our overseas outreach after 14 years of the last Government retreating from the world stage.”
Before he was named as ambassador, Lord Mandelson had urged Sir Keir to use Farage as a “bridge” to the US.