Was Starmer blindsided by Mandelson appointment reaction or did he hope to weather the storm?

I have lost count of the number of diplomats - British and foreign - who told me in recent weeks that Karen Pierce had done a truly remarkable job as the UK’s ambassador in Washington in fostering positive relations with Trump’s team.

It had become a cliché, and was repeated to me even by very senior members of Starmer’s cabinet.

So this manifestation of fury about the replacement of Pierce by Mandelson from one of Trump’s close advisors was predictable.

The question for me is whether Starmer knew that his choice of Mandelson would make these kind of waves, and just assumed he could and would tough it out (as appears to have been his thinking about all those unpopular tax and benefit changes) or whether he was blindsided.

And what were Jonathan Powell and Morgan McSweeney actually doing in America in recent days if not taking the temperature for the most important diplomatic appointment Starmer will probably ever make?

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