Ministers have been accused of a cover-up after admitting they withheld information relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Washington ambassador from a parliamentary committee. Darren Jones, the prime minister’s chief secretary, faced criticism from MPs on both sides of the Commons on Tuesday after he confirmed the government had not disclosed certain documents to the intelligence and security committee (ISC).
Jones said the next tranche of documents on Mandelson would not be published until next month, prompting accusations that the government was seeking to delay the release until after the crucial Makerfield byelection, expected on 18 June. Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Neil O’Brien said withholding documents from the ISC was 'an extremely serious matter that completely undermines what the house agreed' and accused the government of a cover-up.
Labour MP Kim Johnson, a frequent critic of Sir Keir Starmer, expressed concern that No 10 was 'still continuing to cover up Mandelson’s dodgy dealings by redacting and withholding certain information'. Emily Thornberry, Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, said the ISC should be allowed to examine Mandelson’s vetting file with proper redactions to understand mitigations put in place.
The row underscores how Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson to Washington continues to haunt his government. Mandelson was sacked after it emerged he had a closer relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein than previously disclosed. The controversy has already cost the jobs of Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins, and prompted calls for Starmer to resign after Labour’s poor election performance.
Defending the decision, Jones insisted the government had the right to redact information as it would under the Freedom of Information Act, arguing there was no public interest in publishing junior officials’ names or personal data. He warned that releasing raw data from vetting investigations would undermine the national security system. The next set of documents, running to thousands of pages, will be released in June, though Jones refused to confirm whether this would be before the byelection.
ISC chair Kevan Jones said the issue was about transparency in the release process, not a cover-up. Conservative MP and committee member Jeremy Wright expressed sympathy for the redactions but stressed the government could not unilaterally alter the terms of the humble address that mandated the document release.
