the comeback kid. peter mandelson is to be our men in washington. can he do deals with the donald or will he be fired? the crime that shocked the world was committed against gisele pelicot.

she refused anonymity so that "shame would switch sides." today, crowds chanted her name while her rapist ex—husband wept in the dock. how can we all learn from the strength of this remarkable woman? good evening this is newsnight live every weeknight good evening — this is newsnight live every weeknight from broadcasting house with the best insights and interviews. our panel tonight, two columnists. from the times, seb payne, and from the guardian, polly toynbee. believe me, i cannot stop them talking, even in the pre—titles. peter mandleson�*s been hired

as our man in washington. it's a political comeback for him and a historic time for us uk relations. we'll ask if he can do the business and deal with the donald or end up being fired. uk ambassador to dc is one of the top diplomat spots in the world. we'll speak to one who fell out with the trump white house. first, to newsnight�*s own deal—maker nick watt who's known peter mandleson for nearly 30 years. the comeback kid. indeed. the fourth peter mandelson comeback in a quarter of a century, and one of the things about writing about politics for the guardian for thousands of years as i did, although polly has a tharanga lack record —— has a longer track record at the guardian, is that you get to know peter mandelson pretty well. i followed that you get to know peter mandelson pretty well. ifollowed him that you get to know peter mandelson pretty well. i followed him around when he was the northern ireland secretary, and then he was the european trade commissioner and i p°pped european trade commissioner and i normed up european trade commissioner and i popped up as the brussels correspondent for the guardian, so i knew him pretty well, but when gordon brown buried the hatchet with him and brought him back in 2008, i

was in the deep freeze with him so i did not follow him around and he was rather upset about an interview i did with him for the guardian about northern ireland. when you interview peter mandelson for newspaper, you can see the care he takes with the interview, he has little notes written in his very neat careful handwriting. he thinks very carefully about what he is going to say, and what you have to do when you interview the man who is known as the prince of darkness, is to divine what does he mean, you can sometimes speak in riddles, so we can look at this example injuly when kirsty tackled peter mandelson about the job we are now talking about. let me just either scotch a rumour, or confirm a rumour. there's talk swirling around, when the ambassadorial positions may be handed out, that you may be headed for the united states. no, no, no, no, no. everyone who knows me very well knows i'm heading towards wiltshire,

not washington, thank you very much. i am going to go back to the people from whence i came, and the sheep and the cattle and my dogs, thank you very much. he's going to cultivate his garden as voltaire said. it was a much better programme in those days! david lammy said it on the top was deluded, dishonest, xenophobic, narcissistic and in the —— a neo—nazi sympathiser. this xenophobic, narcissistic and in the -- a neo-nazi sympathiser. this is a brave appointment, _ -- a neo-nazi sympathiser. this is a brave appointment, to _ -- a neo-nazi sympathiser. this is a brave appointment, to put _ -- a neo-nazi sympathiser. this is al brave appointment, to put somebody who is so tribally labour in this situation but they want a big hitter, the number one issue is going to be trade, and peter mandelson is a huge expert on that, and twice he was the uk trade secretary, and he was also the european trade commissioner, so what's the significance of thatjob?

you are negotiating trade on behalf of the eu, and i remember when he was the trade commissioner, he would be chatting, and he would be texting away, he would say he was texting the indian trade commissioner, he would be called into the white house, and he could hold his own, he is a significant figure. keir starmer showed her trade is top of his mind when he told the house of commons liaison committee he was worried about the trump tariffs, and he said he wants to have a close trading relationship with the us, and with the eu, and peter mandelson has been talking about that and how we need to have our cake and we need to eat it. the view in the mandelson circle over this appointment is that when he was trade commissioner, he showed he was no pushover, with the us trade representative, and the other thing is that he shows that he could hold his nerve, but he has been thinking very carefully about the prospect of a trump presidency and we can now go back to the

interview with kirsty injuly. a new labour prime minister, any prime minister, but a new labour prime minister has to countenance a relationship with a future president trump. of course. there's no question at all? absolutely no question about that. i think everyone in british politics would expect, if mr trump is re—elected, that it will be quite a bumpy ride. but i think that he will be more transactional than anything else, a re—elected president trump. he may be engaging in sort of brutal... he may be brutally transactional, but he's going to negotiate with everyone, including his allies, and that's including us. let's hear from our panel first. what does this tell us about the energy of keir starmer because he waited to see who won the election? that is the energy of how he came into downing street rather than the pickle he has got into.— into downing street rather than the

pickle he has got into. important to choose somebody _ pickle he has got into. important to choose somebody who _ pickle he has got into. important to choose somebody who is _ pickle he has got into. important to choose somebody who is going - pickle he has got into. important to choose somebody who is going to l pickle he has got into. important to - choose somebody who is going to make a bi- choose somebody who is going to make a big impression, not quite diplomat, and in the trump white house, _ diplomat, and in the trump white house, goodness knows what we are in full, you _ house, goodness knows what we are in full, you need a tough person for trade _ full, you need a tough person for trade and — full, you need a tough person for trade and also someone who is a fascinator, — trade and also someone who is a fascinator, and peter mandelson's great _ fascinator, and peter mandelson's great skill, when he wants, to be utterly— great skill, when he wants, to be utterly charming, he could charm the socks _ utterly charming, he could charm the socks off _ utterly charming, he could charm the socks off anybody and he could also be utterly— socks off anybody and he could also be utterly poisonous, and they said he has _ be utterly poisonous, and they said he has the — be utterly poisonous, and they said he has the whiff of sulphur around him, _ he has the whiff of sulphur around him. not _ he has the whiff of sulphur around him. not for— he has the whiff of sulphur around him, not for nothing did they say that _ him, not for nothing did they say that but — him, not for nothing did they say that. but when he walks into a room, everybody _ that. but when he walks into a room, everybody wants to know what he is saying _ everybody wants to know what he is saying and — everybody wants to know what he is saying and thinking, he has that magnetism. | saying and thinking, he has that magnetism-— magnetism. i covered the first donald trump _ magnetism. i covered the first donald trump campaign - magnetism. i covered the first donald trump campaign in - magnetism. i covered the first | donald trump campaign in 2016 magnetism. i covered the first - donald trump campaign in 2016 and the first thing you see is it is about court politics, who is close to the sun king, or the president, and by picking paid to madison, they have picked someone, if you can get between gordon brown and tony blair, then you might be able to get

between donald trump and elon musk are big personalities that you have got to play with. d0 are big personalities that you have got to play with-— got to play with. do you suspect there was a _ got to play with. do you suspect there was a lot _ got to play with. do you suspect there was a lot of _ got to play with. do you suspect there was a lot of arguing - got to play with. do you suspect - there was a lot of arguing about who would get the gig? if there was a lot of arguing about who would get the gig?— would get the gig? if you listen to that clip we heard _ would get the gig? if you listen to that clip we heard from _ would get the gig? if you listen to that clip we heard from lord - that clip we heard from lord mandelson, he was thinking about the job injuly, he was doing that on the newsnight sofa, by trying to be very elliptical about what he was saying, but within some elements of the government, the traditional foreign office side of things, they may be one a career diplomat, somebody like karen pearce who got the prime minister in for chicken dinner with donald trump. she has been extended more _ dinner with donald trump. she has been extended more times - dinner with donald trump. she has been extended more times than i dinner with donald trump. she has been extended more times than a| been extended more times than a nuclear power station. she cannot be extended any more. as they say that keir starmer has got a grip of an interesting appointment and it shows a bit of ankle? == interesting appointment and it shows a bit of ankle?— a bit of ankle? -- does it say. he has been — a bit of ankle? -- does it say. he has been very — a bit of ankle? -- does it say. he has been very keen _ a bit of ankle? -- does it say. he has been very keen to _ a bit of ankle? -- does it say. he has been very keen to use - a bit of ankle? -- does it say. he| has been very keen to use people with experience from the last labour government, which is regarded as a

success, _ government, which is regarded as a success, and — government, which is regarded as a success, and peter mandelson was one of the _ success, and peter mandelson was one of the architects of that. although he kept _ of the architects of that. although he kept being fired and rehired, and disappearing and coming back again, he was _ disappearing and coming back again, he was always right close in, powerful _ he was always right close in, powerful adviser. and he was always right close in, powerful adviser.— he was always right close in, powerful adviser. he was always right close in, owerful adviser. . , ., , ., powerful adviser. and it shows how much keir starmer _ powerful adviser. and it shows how much keir starmer sees _ powerful adviser. and it shows how much keir starmer sees the - much keir starmer sees the importance _ much keir starmer sees the importance of— much keir starmer sees the importance of this - much keir starmer sees the importance of this as - much keir starmer sees the importance of this as one i much keir starmer sees thei importance of this as one of much keir starmer sees the - importance of this as one of the key relationships— importance of this as one of the key relationships of— importance of this as one of the key relationships of his _ importance of this as one of the key relationships of his time _ importance of this as one of the key relationships of his time as - importance of this as one of the key relationships of his time as prime . relationships of his time as prime minister— relationships of his time as prime minister because _ relationships of his time as prime minister because he _ relationships of his time as prime minister because he could - relationships of his time as prime minister because he could have . minister because he could have picked — minister because he could have picked a — minister because he could have picked a diplomat _ minister because he could have picked a diplomat but - minister because he could have picked a diplomat but you - minister because he could have picked a diplomat but you havei minister because he could have - picked a diplomat but you have the forrner— picked a diplomat but you have the former deputy _ picked a diplomat but you have the former deputy prime _ picked a diplomat but you have the former deputy prime minister- picked a diplomat but you have the former deputy prime minister and i former deputy prime minister and someone — former deputy prime minister and someone who— former deputy prime minister and someone who is _ former deputy prime minister and someone who is very _ former deputy prime minister and someone who is very close - former deputy prime minister and someone who is very close to - former deputy prime minister and someone who is very close to hisl someone who is very close to his chief— someone who is very close to his chief of— someone who is very close to his chief of staff, _ someone who is very close to his chief of staff, morgan _ someone who is very close to his l chief of staff, morgan mcsweeney, and i chief of staff, morgan mcsweeney, and i think— chief of staff, morgan mcsweeney, and i think mr— chief of staff, morgan mcsweeney, and i think mr mcsweeney - chief of staff, morgan mcsweeney, and i think mr mcsweeney would . chief of staff, morgan mcsweeney, i and i think mr mcsweeney would have had a big _ and i think mr mcsweeney would have had a big say— and i think mr mcsweeney would have had a big say in— and i think mr mcsweeney would have had a big say in his _ and i think mr mcsweeney would have had a big say in his former— and i think mr mcsweeney would have had a big say in his former mentor- had a big say in his former mentor peter— had a big say in his former mentor peter mandelson— had a big say in his former mentor peter mandelson as _ had a big say in his former mentor peter mandelson as the _ had a big say in his former mentor peter mandelson as the guy- had a big say in his former mentor peter mandelson as the guy who l had a big say in his former mentor. peter mandelson as the guy who can be their— peter mandelson as the guy who can be their man — peter mandelson as the guy who can be their man in _ peter mandelson as the guy who can be their man in washington. - peter mandelson as the guy who can be their man in washington. my. be their man in washington. impression was, and they be their man in washington.- impression was, and they always speak carefully, the foreign office were keen to extend dame karen pearce, and they say she can do high diplomacy and she's a huge figure on the party scene, very popularfigure in the us, they were keen to keep her on a because she is a career

diplomat but the view in downing street and with morgan mcsweeney, is that we need these big political figure. that we need these big political fiaure. �* , . that we need these big political fiaure. v . , that we need these big political fiaure. �*, .,, figure. it's a big politicalfigure. the last big _ figure. it's a big politicalfigure. the last big political _ figure. it's a big politicalfigure. the last big political figure - figure. it's a big politicalfigure. | the last big political figure given thisjob i the last big political figure given this job i suspect was peterjay, the last big political figure given thisjob i suspect was peterjay, we have to go back 50 years to find an appointment like this. this is a historic and fascinating appointment whatever we think of peter mandelson.— whatever we think of peter mandelson. . . , . ., , , mandelson. that was an embarrassment and it did not — mandelson. that was an embarrassment and it did not work _ mandelson. that was an embarrassment and it did not work out _ mandelson. that was an embarrassment and it did not work out terribly _ and it did not work out terribly well _ and it did not work out terribly well in — and it did not work out terribly well in the end for various reasons but the _ well in the end for various reasons but the idea — well in the end for various reasons but the idea that the prime minister would _ but the idea that the prime minister would send his son—in—law, it had a stink— would send his son—in—law, it had a stink about — would send his son—in—law, it had a stink about it — would send his son-in-law, it had a stink about it.— stink about it. peterjay then became the _ stink about it. peterjay then became the economics - stink about it. peterjay then | became the economics editor stink about it. peterjay then i became the economics editor at stink about it. peterjay then - became the economics editor at the bbc. �* , ., , ., became the economics editor at the sac. ,., ,.,, bbc. after some shameful years workinu bbc. after some shameful years working for _ bbc. after some shameful years working for robert _ bbc. after some shameful years working for robert maxwell. - bbc. after some shameful years| working for robert maxwell. this bbc. after some shameful years i working for robert maxwell. this is the political — working for robert maxwell. this is the political appointment, - working for robert maxwell. this is the political appointment, i - working for robert maxwell. this is the political appointment, i would i the political appointment, iwould saym _ the political appointment, iwould saym this — the political appointment, iwould sayw this is _ the political appointment, iwould say... this is a _ the political appointment, iwould say... this is a bit _ the political appointment, iwould say... this is a bit of— the political appointment, iwould say... this is a bit of history. i the political appointment, iwould say... this is a bit of history. thel say... this is a bit of history. the only— say... this is a bit of history. the only other— say... this is a bit of history. the only other political—

say... this is a bit of history. the only other political appointment. only other political appointment is ed lieweiiyn — only other political appointment is ed llewellyn who _ only other political appointment is ed llewellyn who was _ only other political appointment is ed llewellyn who was david - only other political appointment is i ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of— ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of staff _ ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of staff who _ ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of staff who is _ ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of staff who is now— ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of staff who is now our— ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of staff who is now our man i ed llewellyn who was david cameron's chief of staff who is now our man in i chief of staff who is now our man in roma, _ chief of staff who is now our man in rome, so— chief of staff who is now our man in rome, so guite _ chief of staff who is now our man in rome, so quite unique _ chief of staff who is now our man in rome, so quite unique thing - chief of staff who is now our man in rome, so quite unique thing we i chief of staff who is now our man in| rome, so quite unique thing we are seeing _ rome, so quite unique thing we are seeina. ~ . , rome, so quite unique thing we are seeina. . . , , rome, so quite unique thing we are seein, . ., , , ., seeing. waiting patiently is lord darroch. lord darroch was uk ambassador to washington. he left the post when his memos critical of the trump white house were leaked and donald trump called him wacky. thanks forjoining us. what do you make of it? i thanks forjoining us. what do you make of it?— make of it? i think it is a good appointment- _ make of it? i think it is a good appointment. i— make of it? i think it is a good appointment. i have _ make of it? i think it is a good appointment. i have said i make of it? i think it is a good appointment. i have said for l make of it? i think it is a good appointment. i have said for a i make of it? i think it is a good i appointment. i have said for a long time, eversince appointment. i have said for a long time, ever since the election outcome, that i thought peter mandelson was the right man for the job, and i'm glad it has been announced. i job, and i'm glad it has been announced.— job, and i'm glad it has been announced. ., , , , ., announced. i wonder if it is mission impossible? _ announced. i wonder if it is mission impossible? you _ announced. i wonder if it is mission impossible? you said _ announced. i wonder if it is mission impossible? you said in _ announced. i wonder if it is mission impossible? you said in the - announced. i wonder if it is mission impossible? you said in the memo| impossible? you said in the memo that was late that the government of president trump was dysfunctional and inept and divided. can peter mandelson deal with the donald? that was six mandelson deal with the donald? trust was six months into donald trump's first term and you might think that he will make a rather sound a start

to his second term and it will not be like those first six months. second, peter mandelson is a trade expert and he was the eu trade commission and one of the key issues we want him to tackle with the new trump government is what they are going to do about 1412 00:12:17,413 --> 00:12:1