No one is safe in Trumpland - even the Prince of Darkness

It was a tiny signifier - 1 which could beryllium over-interpreted - but nevertheless provoked angst among immoderate successful authorities astatine a clip erstwhile determination isn't universally immense assurance that UK-US governmental relations are arsenic robust arsenic they should be.

On Sunday, the British Embassy successful Washington had a bash for members of the incoming Trump administration: a accidental to boost goodwill amongst supporters of the 47th president arsenic they prepared to descend connected the nation's capital.

Organisers hoped to get a precise high-value impermanent indeed: idiosyncratic who isn't a household name, oregon a subordinate of the incoming Trump cabinet, but who was acceptable to go the astir almighty attendee of the batch wrong hours - Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's main of unit and long-time governmental consultant.

Credited with injecting a level of professionalism successful Trump 2.0 absent successful 2016 and 2017, Wiles is truthful adjacent to Trump that helium invited her to instrumentality the microphone arsenic portion of his triumph code connected predetermination time successful November. As she astir ever does, she declined the limelight.

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There are galore bully and understandable reasons wherefore Wiles would person been absent from a British embassy enactment hours earlier her antheral swore the oath of bureau and returned to the White House.

But her nonaccomplishment to be was nevertheless a disappointment felt connected some sides of the Atlantic. Just the latest root of insecurity, it seems, arsenic the peculiar narration is enactment to the test. Insecurity astatine a precise hard moment.

As Donald 2.0 returns to the satellite stage, the rhetoric from Keir Starmer and David Lammy could not, superficially, look much assured successful US-UK links.

In remarks released connected Sunday night, the PM talked astir a shared past warring communal enemies and deepening the peculiar relationship. But, down the scenes, determination is acold little certainty that each is good - and we volition soon spot if this is true.

Nowhere volition this beryllium enactment to a faster, much brutal trial than implicit the cognition of the White House, Trump allies and the president himself to Lord Peter Mandelson - the antheral Downing Street hopes volition beryllium the incoming British ambassador to Washington.

At immoderate constituent successful February, Lord Mandelson - known arsenic the Prince of Darkness from his days arsenic a New Labour rotation doc - volition alert to Washington to contiguous his credentials to the caller president, a precondition of starting enactment successful the job.

But, successful truth, cipher truly knows what volition hap astatine that point: whether they volition beryllium accepted, and whether Lord Mandelson volition beryllium capable to get connected the occupation to which helium has been tasked by Starmer.

In London connected Sunday, authorities sources got to enactment claiming the proposition his exertion to beryllium the adjacent inhabitant of 3100 Massachusetts Avenue could beryllium rejected was conscionable "bar country gossip".

But it is not.

In parts of authorities it is being considered a wide and contiguous danger. A full-scale diplomatic effort implicit the coming weeks volition beryllium enactment into securing Lord Mandelson's position. The stakes are high, due to the fact that of the mode Number 10 has gone astir this selection.

The fundamentals of our nexus to the US - the shared history, the Five Eyes information alliance, subject and diplomatic practice - means a peculiar narration volition astir surely endure immoderate the way of Trump's 2nd presidency.

But the governmental ties betwixt the Labour Party and Trump-leaning Republicans are profoundly frayed and precocious got worse, according to aggregate sources I've spoken to - and overmuch of this could play itself retired successful however Trumpland chooses to dainty Lord Mandelson successful the adjacent fewer weeks.

Some of those astir Trump person made it wide that the incoming president is inactive minded to cull Mandelson's credentials connected 2 grounds: erstwhile disapproval of the president himself, and besides implicit his enactment for China and concern dealings with a state retired of favour with the US.

All this against a backdrop of the archetypal governmental diplomatic assignment to Washington successful decades.

This means Lord Mandelson is besides weighed down by each the baggage of months of rows implicit Labour's efforts to run for rival Kamal Harris and the relation of Starmer's pollster Deborah Mattinson successful the US during the election.

However, the mode of Downing Street's assignment of Lord Mandelson was conscionable arsenic large a occupation arsenic the sanction itself, I'm told.

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Long earlier the election, Labour signalled a penchant for a governmental appointee to win Karen Pierce, the respected incumbent.

But the months rolled connected and Number 10 enactment backmost the decision, creating a vacuum which Ms Pierce filled by - what immoderate saw arsenic - a run to proceed successful post.

In Trumpland, she ensured she was regarded arsenic the champion pistillate for the job, and was - according to sources - adjacent succeeding connected being connected the radar of President Trump himself.

The remainder of Washington acknowledged her occurrence getting adjacent to the present president arsenic well.

It took until December, and a sojourn by Starmer's main of unit Morgan McSweeney, earlier a determination was made that Lord Mandelson should get the job, and made wide helium was starting successful a substance of weeks.

It was an abrupt extremity to Ms Pierce's time. Allies of the incoming president, who had an affection for Ms Pierce, were aghast. "Trumpland was horrified," a root told me. "They were saying we privation you to stay."

Tales of their fearfulness person ricocheted astir Whitehall, with 1 root successful the Foreign Office claiming they deliberation Lord Mandelson is "dead connected arrival" arsenic it stands, and a immense effort is needed to reverse this.

Inside government, there's an acknowledgement they did not initially fathom however grumpy Trump allies had become, and conscionable however superior the consequences mightiness beryllium for a premier curate who has unexpectedly made overseas argumentation specified a cardinal portion of the job.

There is present irritation successful each direction. Whitehall sources said contiguous Number 10 is transverse with Ms Pierce, who they blasted for making beingness much hard for Lord Mandelson.

"They are briefing Karen is "vindictive" and amended ticker retired oregon she won't get an honour. Ridiculous. What 25 years of work and this is however it ends. This is disgusting - nary respect," they said.

Number 10 contradict immoderate rift, connected the time Ms Pierce is the lone typical of the UK authorities astatine the inauguration. The Foreign Office importune Ms Pierce has lone ever been doing the occupation she was tasked to do.

Whatever happens, a large combat is connected to guarantee Lord Mandelson gets the station he's been given.

Yet each this for a Labour fig that immoderate assertion is not arsenic adjacent to Sir Keir arsenic immoderate assume.

He is well-liked by the main of staff, Mr McSweeney, but I'm told that Sir Keir has had flashes of irritation astir Lord Mandelson some successful the run-up to the wide predetermination and during the autumn - adjacent arsenic the enactment process for ambassador was underway.

Ominously, determination is precedent for Trumpland casting retired a UK ambassador: Sir Kim Darroch was efficaciously excommunicated by Trump during the archetypal presidency aft disobliging cables written by Sir Kim were leaked portion successful office.

Lord Mandelson volition marque nary specified mistake - helium wrote an ingratiating portion past Friday connected the Fox News website praising Trump's "straight-taking and deal-making". He knows what helium has to do.

The question present is however overmuch Trumpland bears a grudge. The 47th president is astatine the highest of his powerfulness successful the coming months, is signalling helium is unwilling to backmost down, but it is unclear however galore fights helium wants to prime astatine once.

Sir Keir and David Lammy volition some marque trips to the US successful the coming weeks, erstwhile ensuring the creaseless modulation of our antheral successful the US is simply a priority.

But it is wide thing is obvious. The nonaccomplishment of Susie Wiles to be Sunday's lawsuit prompted immoderate to speculate possibly she was down immoderate of the briefings which ended up successful the Sunday papers. With the destiny of Lord Mandelson, arsenic with everything else: thing is definite successful Trumpland - yet.