Newly published documents related to Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to Washington have exposed deep rifts within the Labour government, rather than clarifying security concerns over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. The release of over 1,000 pages was demanded by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to scrutinise what ministers knew about Mandelson's ties to the convicted paedophile, but the files instead reveal extensive internal criticism and dysfunction.
The documents show Mandelson himself was highly critical of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his team. In a May 2024 message to Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, Mandelson wrote: 'Keir is not leading from the front and Morgan [McSweeney] is not organising the centre as it needs to be. It stems from the top and Keir lacks verve as does the cabinet as a whole.' He later described No 10 as 'beleaguered and bereft'.
Other senior figures also faced harsh assessments. Mandelson called Health Secretary Wes Streeting 'hysterical' over Gaza, and described Ed Miliband's criticism of Tony Blair as 'personal and stupid'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves was said to be 'on a growth mission but without an argument about where the growth will come from'. Pat McFadden, in a separate message, complained that Labour MPs were focused on 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others' rather than asking the right questions.
The files also reveal trivial matters consuming government time, such as a lengthy debate over procuring a ministerial red box as a gift for US President Donald Trump, which Mandelson likened to the BBC satire The Thick of It. Meanwhile, details about Mandelson's security vetting were limited, with one official advising him to submit names of contacts even if the process felt 'quite artificial'. The Guardian reported that no agreement was reached for Mandelson to mitigate security concerns over his overseas contacts, and vetting officials initially recommended he be denied the post.
