Keir Starmer is facing a new battle for survival today as ‘cringe’ messages between ministers, aides and Peter Mandelson were released.
The Government has finally published 1,500 pages of incendiary material covering the New Labour architect’s disastrous appointment.
One handwritten note from Mandelson to then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Sir Keir would ‘never regret’ appointing him.
The messages are believed to include indiscreet criticism of the embattled PM by his own senior team. Sir Keir himself is thought to have sent Mandelson a gushing text saying he would be ‘brilliant’ as US ambassador.
After his appointment was announced in December 2024, Emma Reynolds – now environment secretary – WhatsApped him: ‘Huge congratulations Peter – how very exciting! Would love to meet up but imagine you’ll be very busy preparing to go to the states but if you have time before to meet let me know!’
Ed Miliband messaged Mandelson: ‘Peter – Many congratulations. Look forward to working together.’
Mandelson WhatsApped pensions minister Torsten Bell in July last year complaining that Government does not do policy ‘well enough’.
The minister replied: ‘Well that is definitely true – everyone seems to think it’s someone else’s job to get the policy right.’
However, 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.
No10 has confirmed the PM will not be speaking publicly today, despite being at the heart of the furore. Instead his right-hand man Darren Jones is due to face MPs’ questions about the revelations this afternoon.
The Government was forced to agree to the disclosure by a massive Labour revolt in February – which almost saw Sir Keir kicked out of No10.
Some insiders fear that Andy Burnham could seek to exploit the premier’s woes for his leadership bid by claiming the Mandelson documents show Westminster is ‘broken’.
Keir Starmer was keeping a low profile in Downing Street today as he braces for a treasure trove of ‘cringe’ messages between ministers, aides and Peter Mandelson to be released
Sir Keir himself is thought to have sent Mandelson (pictured) a gushing text saying he would be ‘brilliant’ in the role
In February MPs backed an archaic parliamentary procedure known as a ‘humble address’ to demand the papers.
The vote followed the launch of a police probe into Mandelson, and the revelation that Sir Keir went ahead with the appointment despite vetting officials raising concerns.
A first tranche of documents, released in March, showed Sir Keir was warned in a due diligence document about Mandelson’s long-standing links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The second set of documents includes messages between Mandelson and ministers and government advisers, including Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
It is not clear how many of Mr McSweeney’s exchanges with Mandelson are missing after his mobile phone was stolen last year.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has already published his own messages with Mandelson, including discussion of Gaza and criticisms of Sir Keir’s leadership.
But the batch does not include Mandelson’s UK Security Vetting (UKSV) summary after the Metropolitan Police asked the Government to withhold the document.
UKSV recommended against granting Mandelson security clearance, but top Foreign Office official Sir Olly Robbins overruled that advice.
Sir Olly was effectively sacked in April after it emerged he had overruled the advice, with the Prime Minister insisting he was unaware of UKSV’s recommendation.
The Government has said it has only withheld documents where requested by the police, and all other documents will be published.
Several documents have also been redacted, either to remove personal details such as the names of junior officials, or on national security grounds.
Those exclusions were agreed with Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee following a compromise with MPs.
Last month, the committee raised concerns that the Government was applying redactions ‘too broadly’, and cited the UKSV vetting file as an example of documents being withheld without Parliament granting ministers the ‘authority’ to do so.
Lord Beamish, the committee’s Labour chair, insisted this morning that nothing had been struck out to avoid ’embarrassment’.
‘The committee has taken a very robust line in terms of getting the balance right between protecting national security, but also ensuring that Parliament and the public see as much as possible,’ the former minister said.
The Conservatives have already accused the Government of seeking to perpetrate a ‘cover-up’, with shadow minister Alex Burghart writing to the chief secretary to the Prime Minister to demand ‘full transparency’.
Mr Burghart said: ‘I will remind you that the House did not provide the Government with the choice about redactions beyond the narrow scope in the humble address.
‘This behaviour will be viewed by the House as a contempt of Parliament, and as a cover-up by the British public.
‘Even if the Prime Minister leaves office in a few weeks, I can assure you we will hold you to account for this.’
Cabinet minister Darren Jones is expected to make a statement to the Commons later
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said earlier: ‘This is a task that has involved every Government department.
‘The result is the largest-ever Government response to a humble address. It represents thousands of hours of work from officials across the Government to deliver an unprecedented piece of Government transparency.
‘Our guiding principle throughout has been to comply as transparently and as swiftly as possible.’
He added: ‘For example, material of a party political nature will be included in the publication, which is contrary to usual practice and precedent, in order to demonstrate the maximum possible transparency.
‘A number of documents have also been declassified to enable publication.
‘In order to provide a transparency to Parliament and the public alongside the documents, we will also provide a clear explanation of the steps taken in this official-led process to gather the documents and the approach to any redactions.’
A Metropolitan police spokesman said: ‘An investigation into alleged misconduct in public office is underway and it is vital due process is followed so that our criminal investigation and any potential prosecution is not compromised.
‘We are working with the Cabinet Office to review relevant documents provided to us by them.
‘While complying with the Humble Address is a matter for government and parliament, we have asked the Cabinet Office not to make some documents public as they would have a detrimental impact on our investigation or any subsequent prosecution.’
Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing.
