Peter Mandelson's unfiltered remarks about Keir Starmer's leadership have been made public in hundreds of pages of documents relating to his appointment as US ambassador. The files, running to three volumes and more than 1,000 pages, include WhatsApp exchanges with a senior cabinet minister criticising the prime minister's lack of 'verve' and tendency to buckle under pressure. Mandelson suggested Starmer should behave in a more 'Trumpian' fashion.
The documents also reveal Mandelson's criticism of Ed Miliband's response to Tony Blair's comments on net zero plans. Mandelson told Pat McFadden that Miliband's reaction was 'so personal and stupid'. McFadden had previously described Blair's intervention as 'spot on', though he noted the timing was poor.
In further messages, Mandelson expressed concern that the government had not fully grasped the importance of energy supply and costs to the economic future, particularly for AI and manufacturing. He also complained that the Department for Business and Trade had been 'cut out of conversations' about the US trade deal due to concerns over leaks to the press.
Despite the strong criticism, some MPs may conclude that overall the revelations are less excruciating and embarrassing than feared. The UK is also facing scrutiny over free speech, after the government banned two leftwing US political commentators from entering the country.
