Sir Keir Starmer has survived a Commons vote but faces mounting anger over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. MPs from all sides criticised the government after it emerged that Starmer knew Mandelson had remained friends with Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction.
MPs agreed that ministers must share papers relating to Mandelson's appointment with the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). The government initially sought to block publication of documents deemed prejudicial to national security or international relations, but backtracked after pressure from senior Labour MPs Angela Rayner and Dame Meg Hillier.
Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward said documents would not be released immediately but would be handed to the ISC “as soon as possible”. The Metropolitan Police asked No 10 not to release certain documents, fearing it could undermine its investigation, but Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said the Met had “no jurisdiction” over the Commons.
Campaigners are demanding full transparency over Mandelson’s links to Palantir, a US tech firm with UK government contracts worth over £500m. Mandelson co-founded and part-owns Global Counsel, a lobbying company that works for Palantir. The cabinet secretary is urged to release details of Mandelson’s role in arranging Starmer’s visit to Palantir’s Washington DC showroom in February 2025.
During the visit, Mandelson and Starmer met Palantir CEO Alex Karp. Seven months later, UK defence secretary John Healey signed a strategic partnership with Palantir, and in January the Ministry of Defence agreed a £241m three-year contract to “boost military AI and innovation”.
