By GB News (World News) | Created at 2024-12-23 14:01:17 | Updated at 2024-12-23 18:21:02
4 hours ago
A former Labour adviser has accused Nigel Farage of "playing games" with his offer to help the new US ambassador Lord Mandelson build bridges with Donald Trump.
James Matthewson told GB News that Farage's proposal to act as an intermediary was not genuine.
"Nigel Farage is playing games. He's not offering help with the genuine hope of trying to get a Labour government to have a good relationship with Donald Trump or Elon Musk," Matthewson said.
"He wants the Labour government to fail."
Matthewson joined Bev Turner on GB News
GB NEWS
Speaking on his Times podcast last month, he urged: "Swallow your pride, find out who his friends are and try to get into those networks. You cannot just continue this feud indefinitely."
The Labour grandee specifically mentioned engaging with Farage, stating: "You can't ignore him. He's an elected MP."
He also suggested identifying Elon Musk's "other British friends" to build diplomatic bridges.
Trump's campaign chief Chris LaCivita has already branded Lord Mandelson a "moron" after past comments surfaced where the Labour grandee had called Trump a "white supremacist".
The move to work with Farage has sparked concerns within Labour ranks.
Lord Blunkett warned against the strategy, telling The Telegraph: "Seeking to influence Donald Trump from anyone or anywhere in the UK is likely to be doomed to failure but also to elevate individuals and causes - to which many of us are deeply opposed - to a position of authority which they don't warrant."
Matthewson acknowledged the challenges facing Labour in dealing with Trump's administration, noting that "you're going to struggle to find anyone in the Labour Party who hasn't insulted or at least criticised Donald Trump".
However, he backed Mandelson's diplomatic approach, describing him as "a very, very effective operator".
"I think Peter Mandelson is right to invite him in and get him on board and see what he can do to broker the relationship," Matthewson told GB News.
"Don't forget this is a left-wing government, it is the opposite of what Donald Trump and Nigel Farage is."
