Sir Keir Starmer faces mounting criticism from MPs on all sides after the government was forced to agree to release documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador to the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). The decision follows backbench pressure, including from senior Labour MPs Angela Rayner and Dame Meg Hillier, after the government initially sought to block publication on national security grounds.
Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward told Parliament that the documents would be handed to the ISC “as soon as possible”, with independent lawyers overseeing the process. The Metropolitan Police had asked Downing Street not to release certain papers, warning it could “undermine” its investigation, but Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle stressed the force had “no jurisdiction” over the Commons.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer confirmed he was aware when appointing Mandelson in December 2024 that the peer had remained friends with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction. The admission has fuelled demands for full transparency over Mandelson’s past dealings.
Campaigners are now calling for the cabinet secretary to disclose details of Mandelson’s role in arranging a visit for Starmer to the Washington DC showroom of Palantir Technologies in February 2025. Palantir, a US tech firm valued at $300bn, holds UK government contracts worth more than £500m and provides military technology to the Israel Defense Forces and AI-powered deportation tools for Donald Trump’s ICE units.
Global Counsel, a lobbying company co-founded and part-owned by Mandelson, also works for Palantir. In January, the Ministry of Defence signed a £241m three-year contract with the firm to “boost military AI and innovation”. Ward insisted there would be “no political involvement from Number 10” in the document review process, which will be led by the cabinet secretary.
