Newly released documents show that Peter Mandelson, the UK's ambassador-designate to Washington, was receiving sensitive security briefings from the Foreign Office and had arranged a meeting with the head of MI6 before completing his developed vetting process. The declassified emails reveal that Mandelson and Richard Moore, the former chief of MI6 known as 'C', agreed to meet in early January 2025, prior to Mandelson's departure for the US. Mandelson was not granted security clearance until two weeks later.
The documents, published on Monday, also disclose that Mandelson believed he could access secret documents without vetting due to his status as a privy councillor, a role he held as a former cabinet minister. However, officials eventually decided that clearance was necessary. The 1,500-page release, triggered by a humble address, sheds further light on the controversial appointment but withholds some material deemed prejudicial to national security.
Among the withheld items are a nine-page summary from UK Security Vetting, which the Metropolitan Police requested not be made public as it may be used in a future prosecution. Also missing are Mandelson's declarations of interest form and details of measures to mitigate serious security concerns, including his associations with figures in China, Russia, and Israel, and a £1m loan. The documents reveal that Mandelson 'declined to comply' with a request to hand over his personal phone and WhatsApp messages.
The files also expose internal Labour criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with Mandelson himself describing Starmer as prone to buckling under pressure and lacking verve. Starmer's decision to appoint Mandelson has unsettled MPs and raised questions about his judgment, a move he has since said he bitterly regrets. The documents note that Mandelson was advised by the Foreign Office to submit a 'handful' of overseas contacts to reassure the security team, even if it seemed 'quite artificial'.
