‘You can’t ignore him!’ Labour grandee urges Starmer to form unlikely alliance with Farage to woo Trump and Musk

Labour grandee Lord Mandelson has urged Sir Keir Starmer to embrace an unlikely alliance with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to strengthen Britain’s relationships with Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The former New Labour Business Secretary, who is tipped as a potential future UK ambassador to the US, urged officials to set aside political differences in pursuit of national interests.

Mandelson’s suggestion comes after Labour Ministers rejected Farage’s offer to undertake a new “interlocutor” role with the incoming Trump administration.

Speaking to Times Radio, Lord Mandelson emphasised the importance of leveraging British connections to rebuild relationships.

Addressing Labour’s relationship with Musk, he said: “If I were the Government here, I’d be asking the embassy in Washington DC to find out who his other British friends are.”

Mandelson added: “You’ve got to be used, I think, as a bridge to Musk. And so that’s what I would do.

“You know, swallow your pride, find out who his friends are and try and get into those networks.”

The former Labour MP also insisted that ongoing feuds must end, stating: “You cannot just continue this feud indefinitely. You’ve got to get over it.”

Specifically mentioning Farage, Mandelson claimed: “Yes, I would include Nigel Farage.

“I mean, you can’t ignore him. He’s an elected MP. He’s a public figure.”

However, Mandelson’s comments about Musk come after the Democrat-turned-Republican became increasingly critical of Starmer’s Labour Government, likening the Prime Minister to ex-USSR leader Joseph Stalin.

The Tesla boss waded in on Labour’s handling of the summer riots, the recent farmers’ inheritance tax raid and Allison Pearson’s police probe.

Despite Mandelson’s suggestion, Starmer declined to comment on potential appointments when quizzed at the G20 summit in Brazil.

“Obviously it is an important relationship for us. Historically, the US-UK relationship has been a special relationship for a reason, forged in difficult circumstances and as important today as it has ever been,” the Prime Minister said.

Starmer also pointed out how he is building bridges with Trump following the pair’s dinner in New York and subsequent phone calls.