Labour peer Peter Mandelson is set to be named as Britain's next ambassador to Washington, according to reports.
The surprise appointment comes as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer positions his team for potential dealings with Donald Trump's White House.
Lord Mandelson, a key architect of New Labour under Tony Blair, would return to frontline politics for the first time since serving as Business Secretary in Gordon Brown's government 14 years ago.
The veteran Labour figure, nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" during his time as a minister, would bring decades of political experience to the crucial diplomatic post.
The move signals Starmer's determination to strengthen UK-US relations through experienced political figures from Labour's last spell in government.
In November, the former MP for Hartlepool told the BBC that he would be “very interested” in giving advice on trade to whoever got the job.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Lord Mandelson said he was “more in favour of a new relationship rather than a special one” with the US, and added: “Can I just make the point if you don’t mind: nobody has spoken to me about this job.
“I read about it in the papers but nobody has actually spoken to me about it, so let’s put it to one side.”
Pushed further on whether he would be interested in the Washington role, the former government minister said: “I would be very interested indeed in giving advice about trade to whoever is appointed.”
The tenure of Dame Karen Pierce, the current office holder, is expected to come to an end at the start of 2025.
