The turmoil at the heart of Keir Starmer's Government has been exposed following the disclosure of over 1,000 pages of material linked to the scandalous appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador.
Messages between Labour ministers and aides published as part of the 'Mandelson files' show infighting and sniping abound, as some suggest things 'don't look good' for the Prime Minister.
Mandelson was fired from the role - Britain's most important ambassadorial post - after nine months. It has since emerged that he did not pass vetting for the job amidst his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, which had continued for far longer than previously disclosed. The fallout could yet cost Sir Keir the keys to Downing Street.
Starmer himself has kept a low profile today - and Number 10 has confirmed the PM will not be commenting on the contents of the tranche today. Follow the latest updates as we unpick the Mandelson Files:
16:01 - Welcome to the Daily Mail's Mandelson Files liveblog
Good evening. The 'Mandelson Files' - a tranche of documents and messages related to Labour's disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador - have been published today following a demand from MPs. Their contents have exposed a deep rift running through the heart of the Labour Government amidst the tsunami of criticism that came after it was revealed that Mandelson's friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein had continued for longer than he had previously disclosed.
We'll be picking through the files' most explosive revelations tonight, but you can read our primer on the files here, by UK Political Editor James Tapsfield: Huge dump of messages show ministers rushed to congratulate Mandelson. The Government has finally published a thousand pages of incendiary material covering the New Labour architect's disastrous appointment.
