Peter Mandelson became chair of the design museum in 2018, reflecting a lifelong interest in design. His appointment came two years after the £83m refurbishment and relocation of the museum. Mandelson said: “to take over as chair of the Design Museum as it starts this huge new chapter in its life is very exciting and a great outlet for the love of design I have nurtured all my life”. His political career has made him exceptionally well connected. Mandelson was a principal architect of New Labour and is now a member of the House of Lords. In parliament, he has pleaded with the government to support newer, independent and hitherto privately-funded entities (such as the Design Museum) as well as venerable, publicly-funded institutions: “if the government fail in this responsibility, museums such as the Design Museum will go under because they do not have a big enough financial cushion to fall back on”.
