Lord Mandelson’s desperate bid for top US job post revealed | Politics | News

Lord Peter Mandelson insisted the Foreign Secretary would “never regret” his appointment as US ambassador.

He has written to disgraced Labor leader David Lammy, urging the Cabinet minister to give him the top job in the UK in Washington.

The letter, written in blue pen on notepaper with Lord Mandelson’s name and the seal of the House of Lords, read: “Dear David, Since today (and all week) is polling day at Oxford and I am returning to London, I wanted to write you a line personally about Washington.

“Thankfully, the speculation in the media has died down and I hope it didn’t bother you too much. I just wanted you to know that if you consider appointing me, I will make sure you will never regret it.”

“I fear that steering Britain’s interests through the Trump administration will require superhuman skills, luck and great teamwork.

“This includes security and defense, trade, economy and relations, not to mention China.

“If we all put our minds and energy into it, I think we can achieve it, but we have to be realistic.

“For me, this would be the last thing I would do in public life, and it would be a great honor to serve you and the Government in this role. So if you are ready for it, I am ready too.”

It was dated November 18, 2024.

The statement is part of more than 1,000 pages of documents released by the Government regarding the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.

The handwritten note to the then-secretary of state arrived in November 2024, a month before he was eventually appointed ambassador to the United States.

The release of the documents includes previously classified documents and personal WhatsApp messages the former ambassador shared with senior figures in the Government.

This is the second set of dossiers relating to Sir Keir’s unfortunate decision to give the prestigious Washington post to Lord Mandelson rather than a diplomat.

That peer was fired in September 2025, after just nine months on the job, as more details emerged about his friendship with Epstein.

Revelations later revealed in the Epstein Files led the Metropolitan Police to launch an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office.

No 10 stated that all it planned to publish about Lord Mandelson was the release of documents, apart from the files being held back at the request of Scotland Yard so as not to jeopardize the investigation.