Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson (born 21 October 1953 in Hendon, Middlesex, England), is a British Labour politician and former cabinet minister. Son of George Norman ('Tony') Mandelson, an advertising manager for The Jewish Chronicle and former Royal Dragoons officer, and Mary Joyce, daughter of Labour cabinet minister Herbert Morrison, he holds a degree in politics, philosophy, and economics (PPE) from St Catherine's College, Oxford. Mandelson entered Labour politics early, working as an economist for the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and rising as a key strategist. Known as the 'Prince of Darkness' for his media savvy and behind-the-scenes influence, he co-founded the 'New Labour' project with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, helping secure the party's 1997 election victory. He served as MP for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004 and held senior Cabinet roles under Blair and Brown, including Minister without Portfolio, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (resigning twice amid scandals involving a home loan and Indian passport application), Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and later Business Secretary and First Secretary of State from 2008-2010. He also served as European Commissioner for Trade from 2004-2008. A lobbyist and diplomat, he was appointed British Ambassador to the United States in 2025 under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a role from which he is now former. In 2026, his properties were searched following unsealed file revelations.