Government documents about Peter Mandelson's appointment as Washington ambassador contain no record of measures taken to mitigate serious security concerns, the Guardian has learned. Multiple sources who have seen the files, set for publication on Monday, say there is no detail about steps to address flags raised over his associations with senior figures in foreign states.
Omissions Cast Doubt on Assurances
The Guardian also understands Mandelson was not asked to take any steps himself to allay such concerns. The omissions cast doubt on assurances provided by senior Whitehall officials to MPs on the foreign affairs select committee. A fuller picture will emerge on Monday when the government publishes more than 1,000 pages of information relating to Mandelson's appointment, one of Keir Starmer's most significant decisions as prime minister.
Sources Question Lack of Written Record
One source briefed on the documents said: "The big question I would be asking is why there is no written record of what mitigations were put in place. We've been told they were there, but why is there no document showing he accepted them?" Multiple sources indicated that while Mandelson had provided assurances over potential commercial conflicts of interest, no record exists regarding national security matters.
The Guardian revealed last week that Mandelson's associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel were among the red flags raised by the UK's vetting agency, which concluded he should be denied clearance. The document release sets up another challenging week for Starmer, following Tony Blair's critical essay arguing the government had abandoned the centre ground.
Embarrassing Exchanges Expected
Ministers are braced for the release of embarrassing WhatsApp exchanges from Mandelson's time in Washington, including criticism of Starmer, which could further undermine the prime minister's authority. Senior government insiders expect awkward messages from ministers "trying to impress" Mandelson but do not anticipate resignations. Group messages involving Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who quit over Starmer's leadership, may also be published.
Sources suggest the exchanges reveal Mandelson gave unsolicited advice to ministers on policy areas outside his diplomatic brief. A government spokesperson said: "The second tranche of documents will be among the largest publications ever laid in parliament. That reflects the transparent and thorough process we have followed." Mandelson declined to comment.
Starmer sacked Mandelson after documents published in the US exposed his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The controversy has led to the departure of Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and Foreign Office top official Olly Robbins. The papers will detail security assessments and Mandelson's contacts with ministers, though some documents are withheld for police investigations or security reasons.
Lack of Mitigation Records Raises Questions
The documents do not include a nine-page summary by UK Security Vetting (UKSV) after Scotland Yard requested some documents not be made public. However, the absence of security mitigation records is likely to raise significant questions, especially among MPs on the foreign affairs select committee who were given explicit assurances that such measures were taken. Robbins told the committee in April that clearance could be approved if risks could be managed or mitigated, with mitigations noted in an email from Foreign Office security head Ian Collard.
Collard's email recorded "the ways in which we would manage" clearance and "the mitigations," according to Robbins. This was supported by Cat Little, the official in charge of gathering the humble address material. However, multiple sources said no emails included a formal agreement with Mandelson, suggesting any mitigations were agreed informally. One former head of MI6 said the breadth of risks identified by UKSV would have made security mitigations "totally impossible."
Steps appear to have been taken to address commercial conflicts of interest from Mandelson's stake in Global Counsel, the lobbying firm he co-founded. These management actions were "not strictly speaking a national security issue," Robbins told MPs, but were about protecting Mandelson's and the government's reputation.
