A previously unpublished diary entry by Lord Peter Mandelson has been released as part of the latest tranche of government documents relating to his time as the UK's ambassador to Washington, offering a behind-the-scenes account of a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
The draft article, written for the New Statesman and included within the newly released Mandelson files, describes the launch of the US-UK trade deal and Mandelson's unexpected exchange with Trump during the event. In the diary, Mandelson compares entering the Oval Office to stepping into the 'Colosseum,' reflecting on the intense scrutiny faced by foreign leaders and diplomats during White House appearances.
