The fear and loathing at the heart of Keir Starmer’s Government was laid bare today as incendiary 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.
It gives a stark glimpse into plotting and backbiting behind the scenes of the Labour government, with Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden at one point complaining that MPs just want him to find people to tax to hand out more benefits.
He also candidly admits that Sir Keir’s authority had been ‘destroyed’ by a revolt last summer that blocked welfare reforms.
There is also evidence of behind-the-scenes tensions between Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves – with suggestions the No10 operation needs to be bolstered because her team is not up to managing the economy.
Mandelson and ministers are exposed as having discussed how things ‘don’t look good’ for Sir Keir. There is discussion of how Gordon Brown has ‘got it in for’ Sir Keir, while No10 staff are described as ‘sub-optimal’.
Wes Streeting, until recently the health secretary is described by Mandelson as sending a ‘wild long hysterical message’ criticising Israel as the Government considered recognising Palestine as a state. The ambassador jibed that Mr Streeting was having an ‘early mid life crisis’ and lacked ‘maturity’.
One handwritten note from Mandelson to then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Sir Keir would ‘never regret’ appointing him as US ambassador.
And after he was confirmed as the PM’s pick in December 2024, ministers rushed to congratulate him personally.
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.’
Steve Reed, now Housing Secretary, said: Congratulations Peter – wonderful news if you’re to be US ambassador. Excellent appointment
Environment minister Mary Creagh said: ‘Peter I do so hope the rumours are true- and if so, massive congratulations on your new exciting job!’
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.
And there have been a swathe of redactions, carried out at a cost of £1million, while at least one previously reported message from Sir Keir to Mandelson seems to be missing.
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 faced MPs’ questions about the revelations this afternoon. Ironically, the messages suggest he was second choice to be Secretary of State to the PM, with Baroness Jaqui Smith considered initially.
In other details from the huge disclosure today:
- Mr Jones admitted some messages between ministers and Mandelson – including his own – ‘may not have been backed up’ because of disappearing messages or a change in devices;
- Mandelson complained to Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden that Sir Keir and the Cabinet as a whole ‘lacked verve’;
- There was a chaotic operation to source a ministerial-style Red Box for Donald Trump, which Mandelson described as like The Thick of It;
- Mandelson and the PM’s former deputy chief of staff discussed how to get a grip on economic policy in July last year, criticising Rachel Reeves’ operation;
- Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander messaged Mandelson crediting him with Labour’s election win;
- Before taking on the ambassador role Mandelson lobbied ministers heavily to support his bid for Chancellor of Oxford University.
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
One handwritten note from Mandelson to then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Sir Keir would ‘never regret’ appointing him
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’.
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.
One of the longest sections of messages is between Mandelson and Mr McFadden.
In the wake of another bad set of local elections in May last year, the Cabinet minister told the then-ambassador: ‘Lot of manoeuvring here this week. Angela, Gordon. Doesn’t feel good for Keir.’
Mandelson replied: ‘I have spoken to Morgan a lot this week and last night I was direct with him – Keir is not leading from the front and Morgan is not organising the centre as it needs to be Gordon has it in for Keir (and Rachel) big time.
‘He doesn’t seriously believe that Angela is an alternative but she is an instrument of destabilization. I doubt he thinks Ed is fit for purpose but he is doing to Keir what he has always done to successive Scottish leaders.’
The Gordon referenced appears to be former PM Gordon Brown.
Amid a revolt that effectively killed the Government’s efforts to curb welfare, Mr McFadden moans: ‘Every meeting I have is ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’. They’re asking the wrong questions.’
As Sir Keir looked down the barrel of an humiliating U-turn on the benefits overhaul, Mr McFadden said: ‘He is meeting the ringleaders today. I think it’s very bad. Defeat, pull bill or gut it all destroy his authority.’
Mandelson said later in the exchanges: ‘They have highly sub optimal personnel in No10, spads and civil servants.’
The messages show a frantic effort to relaunch Sir Keir’s premiership, but little confidence it will work.
Mr McFadden observed at one point that Mr McSweeney was changing structures because he did not believe ‘good people will come in to number 10 and it’s hard to get the bad ones to leave’.
The New Labour architect 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.’
Mandelson replied: ‘Rubbish in, rubbish out.’
It is not clear how many of Mr McSweeney’s exchanges with Mandelson are missing after his mobile phone was stolen last year.
Sir Keir himself is thought to have sent Mandelson a gushing text saying he would be ‘brilliant’ as US ambassador, although it does not feature in the disclosure.
In an exchange with Matthew Doyle, the former No10 communications chief, Mandelson questioned why his predecessor in Washington, Karen Pierce, was not acting more quickly to try to squash a negative report about the Trump administration’s relationship with the Labour government.
His comments relate to a story in the Mail on Sunday citing a Trump ally that suggested the incoming administration could retaliate against Sir Keir Starmer over Labour campaigners travelling to the US to support the Democrats.
He said: ‘It can only be turned off by Wiles on behalf of Trump. Karen should be calling her.’
He said it was ‘too late’ and ‘not enough’ when Mr Doyle said James Roscoe, then the deputy head of mission in Washington, was seeing team Trump the next day.
‘Does the UK ambassador even follow what’s happening?’
Mr 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.
Facing questions from MPs in the Commons, Mr Jones tried to play down the glaring absences from the disclosure.
‘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,’ he said.
‘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.’
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.
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.
