The Labour party is split over the plan for Lord Mandelson – the new ambassador to the US – to use Nigel Farage to charm President-elect Trump.
The Telegraph revealed on Monday that the incoming ambassador was set to call the Reform UK leader in the hope Mr Farage can smoothe relations with Trump’s team.
However, some Labour MPs have warned that involving Mr Farage’s could “damage” their party, with one telling Telegraph that the Government should not be airing “the values of the Reform party”.
The 60-year-old godfather of Brexit is a close ally of Mr Trump, having campaigned with the property mogul when he was running for the White House in 2016 and 2020.
It is thought that Mr Farage could be used by the former Business Secretary to convince the Trump administration not to enter a trade war with Britain by imposing tariffs.
While some senior Labour figures warn that the party should not “elevate” Reform, a source close to Lord Mandelson 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.”
Earlier, Lord Mandelson hinted that Mr Farage may be called upon during a podcast interview with The Times.
Discussing Elon Musk – Trump’s appointee to head the newly created US Department of Government Efficiency – Lord Mandelson said: “[Musk] is a sort of technological, industrial, commercial phenomenon. And it would be unwise, in my view, for Britain to ignore him. You cannot pursue these feuds. You can’t afford to do it. We should try and kick it into touch as soon as possible.
“If I were the government here, I’d be asking the embassy in Washington DC to find out who his other British friends are. Who are they all? And they’ve got to be used, I think, as a bridge to Musk. And so that’s what I would do.
“You know, swallow your pride, find out who his friends are and try and get into those networks. You cannot just continue this feud indefinitely. You’ve got to get over it. You’ve got to, he’s got to be reintroduced to the British government.
“And one good way of doing that might be through some of his British friends, even if they are not, as I say, you know, bright red supporters of the Labour government.”
