A leaked dossier claims Peter Mandelson was considered a top contact by Russian intelligence for three decades before his appointment as British ambassador to the United States, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph. The document, codenamed Project Fish, was compiled in 2022 by Christopher Steele, the former chief of the MI6 Russia desk best known for his contested 2017 report on Donald Trump.
Dossier Alleges Decades-Long Russian Contact
The dossier alleges that Mandelson became a 'privileged contact' for Russian intelligence after first being approached by the KGB in 1990. It suggests he is 'considered to be one of the most significant RIS [Russian intelligence services] achievements in manipulating UK politics over the last three decades.' The Telegraph reported that there is no evidence in the file that the ex-Labour peer spied for the Kremlin, and sources told the newspaper the claims are nonsense and he has not done anything wrong.
Lord Mandelson was sacked from the top diplomatic role in September last year, following revelations about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Since his departure, questions have been raised over the extent of the security checks that took place ahead of his appointment.
Vetting Controversy
It is unclear if Steele's report formed part of the national security vetting that took place before Mandelson became ambassador in Washington. In April, it emerged that he had been given clearance by the Foreign Office despite being considered a 'borderline case' following the vetting. Sir Olly Robbins, the top civil servant in the Foreign Office, was effectively sacked after it was claimed he overruled a decision to deny Mandelson clearance – though Robbins later said the situation was more complex. He also claimed he felt under pressure to quickly give the appointment the green light.
The scandal surrounding the appointment and vetting was a major factor leading to Sir Keir Starmer's decision to step down as Prime Minister last week.
Steele's Previous Dossier
Christopher Steele's dossier on Donald Trump became a flashpoint in the early years of the Republican's first term as US President, after it was leaked to the press. The file contained allegations that the newly elected president was the subject of so-called 'kompromat' by the Kremlin – including a supposed tape of him with sex workers in a Moscow hotel. This was highly disputed by President Trump and his team, and it was later reported that the report had been partially funded as opposition research by Hillary Clinton's 2016 election campaign.
