Secret Mandelson WhatsApp messages set to be released – here’s when
Starmer: ‘I should not have appointed Mandelson’
Thousands of documents related to Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment and activities as US ambassador are being published, described by Downing Street as an “unprecedented piece of Government transparency” and the largest-ever Government response to a humble address.
This second tranche of files will include declassified documents and information of a party political nature, with ministers anticipating potential embarrassment from revelations, including thousands of WhatsApp messages from senior Government figures.
Certain documents, such as Lord Mandelson’s UK Security Vetting (UKSV) summary, have been withheld at the request of the Metropolitan Police to avoid jeopardising their investigation into alleged misconduct in public office by the peer.
A first set of documents released in March indicated Sir Keir Starmer was warned of a “general reputational risk” due to Lord Mandelson’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein, while the UKSV had also recommended against granting Mandelson security clearance, a decision later overruled by top Foreign Office official Sir Olly Robbins, who was subsequently sacked.
Some documents have been redacted to remove personal details or on national security grounds, with these redactions agreed with Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, which had previously raised concerns about the breadth of Government redactions.
