Britain's Mandelson admits eyed EU foreign policy job

(LONDON) - Britain's business minister Peter Mandelson admitted Thursday he would have liked to have become the European Union's new foreign policy supremo, but insisted he was not vetoed by France.

Mandelson, who gave up his EU trade commissioner job to return to British politics last year, was among names reportedly in the running for the new EU high representative job decided last month.

In the end the job went to Catherine Ashton, a low-profile former British minister, while the newly-created post of EU president went to Belgian prime minister Herman Van Rompuy. Critics blasted both as lacking political weight.

"In other circumstances I would, of course, have liked to have done that job. It combines my interests with Europe and foreign affairs," Mandelson told BBC radio.

"But the point is that I am a member of this government and I am committed to its success and its re-election, and that is why I am remaining a member of it," he added, referring to ballots due by next June in Britain.

Asked about reports that his name was vetoed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Mandelson said: "No, that's not actually true," adding: "Nobody blocked me. I'm afraid we didn't get to that happy stage."

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was at one stage touted as the frontrunner for the new EU foreign policy job, but also decided to remain in London, despite polls suggesting the Labour government will be ousted next year.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown had backed his predecessor Tony Blair for the EU presidency job, but switched his focus to the foreign policy portfolio when it became clear the controversial ex-premier did not have enough EU support.

The new EU jobs were created under the 27-nation EU's Lisbon Treaty, which finally came into force on December 1 after eight years of wrangling over plans to streamline decision-making in the expanding EU.