Mandelson described No 10 operation as ‘beleaguered and bereft’, files reveal
Here is another exchange between Pat McFadden and Peter Mandelson from July last year. Mandelson was criticising the No 10 operation, which he called “beleaguered and bereft”.
It is on page 255 of volume 3.
Key events
-
Some messages between Mandelson and ministers not available due to disappearing messages, or device changes, MPs told
-
Darren Jones tells MPs all redactions in Mandelson files approved by parliament’s intelligence and security committee
-
Mandelson received sensitive briefings before clearing security vetting, files reveal
-
Mandelson said Streeting was ‘pathetic’ and going through ‘mid life crisis’ over Gaza intervention, files reveal
-
No 10 official told colleagues to ‘delete all traffic on this’, files reveal
-
Mandelson told Louise Haigh Starmer’s decision to sack her as transport secretary ‘harsh’, files reveal
-
‘Rubbish in, rubbish out’ – Mandelson did not rate government’s record on policy, files reveal
-
McFadden joked about Labour MPs always asking ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’, files reveal
-
Mandelson thought, as privy counsellor, he could see secret documents without vetting, files reveal
-
Mandelson described Starmer’s working cycle as ‘advance/buckle/advance/buckle’, files reveal
-
Mandelson declined to hand over his personal phone so messages could be published, files reveal
-
Mandelson told Lammy government would ‘never regret’ making him ambasador, letter reveals
-
Mandelson described No 10 operation as ‘beleaguered and bereft’, files reveal
-
Mandelson told McFadden ‘Keir lacks verve as does the cabinet as a whole’, files reveal
-
Mandelson urged Starmer to meet John Major, files reveal
-
Government publishes Mandelson files
-
UK will not have to pay Rwanda £100m over failed asylum scheme, court rules
-
Corbyn says ban on Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker coming to UK ‘absurd and cowardly’
-
Andy Burnham revives call for Labour to loosen how it uses whipping system to force MPs to toe party line
-
No 10 says release of Mandelson files will be ‘unprecedented piece of government transparency’
-
New health secretary James Murray says he would no longer say trans women are women
-
Polanski condemns decision to ban two US commentators from UK, accusing Home Office of silencing criticism of Israel
-
Farage claims Reform UK party of ‘patriotic working class’, as poll suggests union members as likely to back it as Labour
-
Former Labour Scottish first minister Jack McConnnell calls for joint Westminster/Holyrood inquiry into SNP embezzlement scandal
-
What humble address says what government must release in Mandelson files
-
Embarrassing WhatsApps, but no vetting report: what will be in the new release of Mandelson files?
-
No 10 braced for ‘excruciating’ revelations as private messages between Mandelson and ministers to be released
Some messages between Mandelson and ministers not available due to disappearing messages, or device changes, MPs told
Darren Jones also told MPs that some messages between Peter Mandelson and ministers were not available because of disappearing messages or a change in devices.
Jones said that included some of his own messages with Mandelson.
He said;
double quotation mark I can confirm that we have conducted multiple rounds of discovery from relevant ministers, special advisers and officials in line with the motion passed by the House. This has involved requesting searches of email messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp and other related communication services on both work and personal devices.However, the House should note that some messages may not have been backed up where devices may have been changed or disappearing messages were turned on for reasonable and permitted reasons, including before the dismissal of Peter Mandelson, or the passing of the humble address, myself included.
I do recall having some limited exchanges with Peter Mandelson over WhatsApp, including those I’ve already discussed in the media, but these conversations did not involve transacting government business, and were in line with official guidance on the use of non-corporate communications channels at the time.
Darren Jones tells MPs all redactions in Mandelson files approved by parliament’s intelligence and security committee
Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, told MPs in a Commons statement that no files in the tranche of Mandelson documents released today were redacted without the approval of the parliament’s intelligence and security committee.
In a statement, Jones said:
double quotation mark I can confirm that no material has been redacted on the grounds of prejudice to national security or international relations without the committee’s approval.Further limited redactions have been made outside of the ISC process in respect of information that relates to junior officials’ names, contact details like telephone numbers and email addresses, the personal or commercially sensitive data of third parties not relevant to the motion, and, where relevant, legal professional privilege.
I can also confirm to the house that no Government minister or special adviser has determined any of the redactions themselves.
The redaction process has been overseen by Cabinet Office officials, and, where relevant, in agreement with the ISC.
Jones also said that Simon Hoare, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee, had reviewed the government’s approach to third-party reductions in the documents and agreed they were “sensible, reasonable and proportionate”.
Mandelson received sensitive briefings before clearing security vetting, files reveal
Henry Dyer
Henry Dyer is a Guardian investigations correspondent.
Before Peter Mandelson had completed the developed vetting process, he was receiving sensitive briefings about the Foreign Office’s work, including planned with the head of MI6, the files reveal.
Specially declassified emails say that Mandelson and Richard Moore, the former chief of MI6 (a role known as ‘C’) had directly agreed to meet in early January 2025 before Mandelson went to Washington. During this time Mandelson was still going through the developed vetting process.
A meeting was agreed between them, hosted by C at MI6’s headquarters, to be held after an Atlantic Partnership breakfast, an event which appears to have been planned for 15 January 2025.
As well as plans to meet C, emails note Mandelson had already met in early January with Q: the head of MI6’s technology branch.
Intelligence officials told counterparts in the Foreign Office that , in addition to meeting with C, they wanted to use Mandelson’s presence as a chance to “arrange wider briefings” on topics including “Russia/Ukraine, China, CT [counter-terrorism], the Middle East and cyber.”
At the same time, Mandelson was in the process of declaring to vetting officials his ties to top figures in Russia, China, and Israel, including Oleg Deripaska, who had been sanctioned by the Foreign Office.
Mandelson’s private secretary in the Foreign Office told MI6 they should be aware Mandelson had not yet received DV clearance but had been given access to “higher classification material on a case-by-case basis”. The official said it was for C and other senior MI6 officials to judge what was appropriate.
It is not clear from the documents whether Mandelson’s meeting with C and the security briefings went ahead.
One of the revelations from the Mandelson files is that Peter Mandelson was very, very obsessed with becoming chancellor of Oxford. Before his appointment as ambassador, when he was contesting the election for the chancellor’s position, he seemed to spend a lot of time contacting Labour MPs with Oxford links who he thought might be able to help him.
Here is an exchange on this theme from August 2024 with Georgia Gould, who was Cabinet Office minister at the time.
Gould is the daughter of the late Philip Gould, the pollster and political consultant who was very close to Mandelson from the time when they were both members of Tony Blair’s inner circle in the 1990s.
Mandelson said Streeting was ‘pathetic’ and going through ‘mid life crisis’ over Gaza intervention, files reveal
Peter Mandelson described Wes Streeting as “pathetic” and going through an “early mid life crisis” in an exchange with Pat McFadden in July 2025.
It is on page 254 of volume 3.
It is understood that McFadden and Mandelson were referring to Streeting circulating video evidence of alleged war crimes in Gaza, including atrocities involving children.
No 10 official told colleagues to ‘delete all traffic on this’, files reveal
Officials discussed the need to “delete all traffic” in one exchange published in the files. It is on page 386 from volume 2. Ailsa Terry, private secretary for foreign affairs at No 10, told recipients about the need to “delete all traffic on this”. Peter Mandelson also gave the same advice.
Parts of the emails have been redacted, and it is not clear what they were discussing.
Mandelson told Louise Haigh Starmer’s decision to sack her as transport secretary ‘harsh’, files reveal
Peter Mandelson told Lou Haigh that her sacking as transport secretary in 2024 over a fraud offence she admitted to before she became an MP was harsh.
In a message to her on 29 November 2024, he said:
double quotation mark Lou, I am very sorry about this. You have been brave and loyal in your decision but it seems harsh given you were appointed in full knowledge.But you have acted in a way that enables you to come back later and everything you say and do now should be done with that in mind. Strong and honourable.
‘Rubbish in, rubbish out’ – Mandelson did not rate government’s record on policy, files reveal
Peter Mandelson also disparaged the quality of policy making in government in this exchange with Torsten Bell, who is now the pensions minister. It is from July last year.
It is from page 133 of volume 3.
Mandelson’s point about how “it all starts with policy” is one that Tony Blair was making in his essay about Labour and the future last week.
McFadden joked about Labour MPs always asking ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’, files reveal
Here is an extract from another exchange between Peter Mandelson and Pat McFadden in May 2025.
Mandelson said Gordon Brown had lost faith in Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves. He also said that the PLP was in a “mutinous state”, and that Angela Rayner was seen as an “instrument of destabilisation”.
And McFadden, who was Cabinet Office minister at the time but who is now work and pensions secretary, complained about Labour MPs always asking “who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others”?
They are on page 243 of volume 3.
Mandelson thought, as privy counsellor, he could see secret documents without vetting, files reveal
Henry Dyer
Henry Dyer is a Guardian investigations correspondent.
In the days between Peter Mandelson’s announcement as the next ambassador and Christmas, officials debated whether he needed to go through the vetting process at all.
The documents show that, because Mandelson was a member of the House of Lords, some officials initially believed he would not need “developed vetting” but would have to go through clearance for STRAP, a classification used for the British government’s most sensitive documents.
This belief was based on an internal paper (not released in the humble address) about vetting. One civil servant joked: “It’s nice having policies written down sometimes.”
As they discussed this, the head of the Foreign Office’s Americas desk, Robert Tinline, noted one person felt briefings could begin: “Mandelson thinks that as a privy councillor [sic] he can see things without waiting for vetting.”
But upon reflection officials decided clearance would be necessary for the man taking up the UK’s most high-profile diplomatic posting.
One email from the Foreign Office’s head of security, Ian Collard, shows him warning on 23 December that the US “are strict about clearance matters”. He said the Americans “will likely check Lord Mandelson’s clearance” with the Foreign Office’s security team before there were any sensitive discussions in Washington.
Collard added: “Failure to report the correct clearance could have an awkward impact, which we would want to avoid.”
Collard would go on to recommend that Mandelson be given developed vetting clearance despite the recommendation of vetting officials it be denied.
Mandelson described Starmer’s working cycle as ‘advance/buckle/advance/buckle’, files reveal
Here is another extract from the Mandleson/McFadden exchanges on 30 July 2025. (See 2.46pm.) Mandelson said the cycle for Starmer was ‘advance/buckle/advance/buckle’.
It is on page 255 of volume 3.
Mandelson declined to hand over his personal phone so messages could be published, files reveal
The files reveal that Peter Mandelson apparently “declined to comply” with a request to hand over his personal phone and allow the government to publish WhatsApp messages and other information related to his appointment, according the the Press Association.
Mandelson told Lammy government would ‘never regret’ making him ambasador, letter reveals
Peter Mandelson said the government would “never regret” appointing him as Britain’s ambassador to the US, a note published alongside thousands of documents about the posting has revealed.
UPDATE: Mandelson said:
double quotation mark Dear David,As today (and all week) is polling day in Oxford and I am returning to London, I wanted to drop you a line, personally, about Washington.
Thankfully, the media speculation has gone away and I hope this was not too irritating to you. I just wanted you to know that if you were minded to appoint me I would make sure you never regret it …
For me it would be the last thing I do in public life and it would be a huge honour to serve you and the government in this role. So if you are up for it, so am I.
Mandelson described No 10 operation as ‘beleaguered and bereft’, files reveal
Here is another exchange between Pat McFadden and Peter Mandelson from July last year. Mandelson was criticising the No 10 operation, which he called “beleaguered and bereft”.
It is on page 255 of volume 3.
Mandelson told McFadden ‘Keir lacks verve as does the cabinet as a whole’, files reveal
Here is an exchange where Pat McFadden, who at the time was Cabinet Office minister, was asking Peter Mandelson for advice on government messaging after the 2025 local elections.
At one point Mandelson says “Keir [Starmer] lacks verve, as does the cabinet as a whole.”
These start on page 239 in volume 3.
Mandelson urged Starmer to meet John Major, files reveal
Here is an exchange of messages between Peter Mandelson and Keir Starmer before and after the 2024 election. Mandelson is urging Starmer to meet John Major.
It is on page 283 in volume 3.
