Peter Mandelson's unfiltered remarks to cabinet officials have been made public in hundreds of pages of documents relating to his appointment as US ambassador. The files reveal that Mandelson exchanged WhatsApp messages with a senior cabinet minister criticising Keir Starmer's lack of 'verve' and tendency to buckle under pressure, suggesting the prime minister should behave in a more 'Trumpian' fashion.
The documents, running to three volumes and more than 1,000 pages, include strong criticism of Starmer, mostly from Mandelson. However, some MPs may conclude that overall the revelations are less excruciating than feared.
In the messages, Mandelson and Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden discussed Tony Blair's controversial intervention last year, in which the former prime minister rubbished Labour's net zero plans. McFadden described Blair's comments as 'spot on', though added that the timing was wrong. Mandelson also criticised Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's response to Blair, calling it 'personal and stupid'.
The files also show that the Department for Business and Trade was cut out of conversations about the US trade deal in May 2025 over concerns about leaks. Mandelson told then-communications director Steph Driver that the department was being 'irresponsible' and that pre-briefing could undermine the deal's impact.
