Keir Starmer repeatedly refused to commit to cutting benefits today as he was mauled by Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister's Questions. The premier dodged when challenged by the Conservative leader on whether he wanted to reduce welfare spending.
Mrs Badenoch pointed to comments by Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, exposed in the Mandelson files earlier this week. Mr McFadden was revealed to have complained to the disgraced former minister that Labour MPs only cared about whom they could 'tax in order to pay benefits to others'.
The Conservative leader also ramped up 'cover-up' claims after Sir Keir admitted he used disappearing WhatsApps. She jibed that this was a case of 'disappearing messages from a disappearing PM'.
Mandelson Files Reveal Labour Tensions
The 1,500 pages of Mandelson-related messages provided a stark glimpse into tensions at the heart of Government. Mr McFadden candidly admitted that Sir Keir's authority was 'destroyed' by a revolt last summer that blocked welfare reforms. No 10 has said the PM still has full confidence in Mr McFadden.
Mandelson and ministers were exposed in the messages as having discussed how things 'don't look good' for Sir Keir. Gordon Brown is said to 'have it in for' the premier and be favouring Angela Rayner, while No 10 staff are branded 'sub-optimal'.
Wes Streeting, until recently the health secretary and now a leadership hopeful, is described by Mandelson as sending a 'wild long hysterical message' criticising Israel. Amid a row over the Government recognising Palestine as a state, the ambassador jibed that Mr Streeting was having an 'early midlife crisis' and lacked 'maturity'.
The Labour carnage was foreshadowed by a handwritten note from Mandelson to then-Foreign Secretary Mr Lammy at the end of 2024, saying Sir Keir would 'never regret' appointing him as US ambassador. It is clear the PM was not alone in wanting Mandelson for the job, as a slew of fawning ministers rushed to congratulate him personally.
Despite the scale of the document dump, some key papers are still being withheld at the request of Scotland Yard, which is investigating the former peer over alleged misconduct in public office.
Disappearing Messages Controversy
Sir Keir barely featured in 1,500 pages of documents finally released by the Government on Monday, months after they were demanded by Parliament. The glaring hole was partly explained when the PM's spokesman confirmed yesterday that he has the disappearing messages function activated. A host of other Cabinet ministers, including Rachel Reeves and David Lammy, appear to have been spared embarrassment because they also use the option on WhatsApp.
Downing Street insisted that was permitted as long as it did not affect official record keeping, but the Tories pointed out that screenshots must be kept of important exchanges. The process of uncovering the material and redacting 'sensitive' details cost £1 million.
The Mandelson papers gave a stark glimpse into tensions at the heart of Government, with Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden at one point complaining that his own MPs just want him to find people to tax so they can hand out more benefits.
