Trump team warns Starmer’s ‘horrible, arrogant’ ambassador pick means Britain will be ‘locked out’ of key discussions

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Peter Mandelson’s nomination as Britain’s new ambassador to the United States has provoked fury within Donald Trump’s team, with one insider describing it as a “horrible, arrogant” choice and his campaign coordinator publicly calling the Labour peer a “moron”. Lord Mandelson’s appointment to Washington means the three people charged with building relations with the incoming administration have all insulted Mr Trump: foreign secretary David Lammy once tweeted that Mr Trump is a “tyrant” and “a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”, while foreign minister Stephen Doughty organised a 2017 petition to stop Mr Trump addressing a joint sitting of parliament. Mr Trump’s recent campaign coordinator, Chris LaCivita, posted on X late on Friday that Lord Mandelson is a “moron”. I think it’s a horrible arrogant pick – and one that’s likely to get the UK locked out of most important discussions.” open image in gallery Trump’s team are likely to lock Mandelson out of discussions, it has been claimed But the choice of the Labour veteran has been praised in other quarters, with predecessor Kim Darroch saying Lord Mandelson’s experience as a commissioner in charge of trade will put him in a good position to deal with any tariffs Mr Trump may wish to impose.