The release of over 1,000 pages of documents related to Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to Washington has exposed deep divisions within the Labour government, rather than clarifying security concerns about his links to Jeffrey Epstein. The files, published on Monday, show senior figures criticising each other and expressing doubts about Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership.
Mandelson himself was among the most critical. In a May 2024 letter to Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, he wrote: 'Keir is not leading from the front and Morgan [McSweeney, his chief of staff] is not organising the centre as it needs to be.' He described No 10 as 'beleaguered and bereft' and said Starmer 'lacks verve as does the cabinet as a whole'.
Other ministers also faced harsh assessments. Mandelson called Health Secretary Wes Streeting 'hysterical' and 'experiencing an early mid-life crisis' over Gaza. He described Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's criticism of Tony Blair as 'personal and stupid', and said Chancellor Rachel Reeves was 'on a growth mission but without an argument about where the growth will come from'.
The documents also reveal internal tensions over policy. McFadden complained that Labour MPs were focused on 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others', and backed Blair's criticism of the government's net zero strategy. Pensions Minister Torsten Bell noted that 'everyone seems to think it’s someone else’s job to get the policy right'.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had demanded the release to uncover what ministers knew about Mandelson's Epstein links. However, the files contained limited information on vetting, with Mandelson appearing dismissive of disclosure requirements. One official described the process as 'quite artificial'. The Guardian reported that no agreement was reached for Mandelson to mitigate security concerns over his foreign contacts.
