Starmer to appoint career diplomat to replace Mandelson as US ambassador

Sir Keir Starmer has chosen veteran diplomat Christian Turner as Lord Mandelson’s successor as Britain’s ambassador to the US.

The prime minister has chosen one of the most respected officials in the Foreign Office to pick up the vital US ambassador role after the chaos surrounding Mandelson’s sacking.

Lord Mandelson was withdrawn as US ambassador after it emerged he had withheld details of his close relationship with the convicted paedophile and former financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In his place is Mr Turner who was political director at the FCDO for both the Labour government and previous Tory one before being appointed as the UK’s representative at the UN in May.

Turner had been the ambassador in Pakistan and had been a key and reliable adviser to a series of foreign secretaries.

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