In the thousands of emails along with WhatsApp and other messages published on Monday afternoon relating to the Mandelson affair, one jumped out for personal reasons.
It came in WhatsApp exchanges between Keir Starmer’s former director of communications Matthew Doyle and Peter Mandelson ahead of the inauguration, when The Independent revealed that the incoming Trump administration was considering rejecting his credentials if Starmer attempted to appoint him as ambassador to the US.
Doyle sent a tweet from The Independent‘s Chief Political Commentator, John Rentoul, who posted the story, to Mandelson – to which the disgraced peer replied: “Who is David Maddox?”
In the same conversation, Doyle, who has also since been suspended by Labour, later warned that there will be “a lot of lose (sic) lips at assorted receptions over the next few days, with Johnson, Farage etc making mischief”.
He added: “Sunday Times are following, as in folding into their intro on the inauguration.”
Following more reporting, a furious Mandelson later demanded: “I think this is turning into something big. Why isn’t Karen [Pierce, the outgoing UK ambassador to the US] calling Susie Wiles [Trump’s chief of staff] and making it stop?”
The original revelation by The Independent in January 2025 focused on how it was Mandelson’s business links with China which were seriously concerning the incoming Trump administration.
Despite this, it was Mandelson’s links with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein which ultimately led to his sacking on 11 September last year.
But it was this issue with China – as well as business links with figures in Russia and Israel – which was at the heart of a second revelation by The Independent, also on 11 September, over his vetting of the security vetting for the job.
open image in galleryStarmer insisted that Downing Street did not know about the vetting failure until seven months later, in April this year, and sacked the then chief mandarin at the Foreign Office (FCDO), Olly Robbins, for hiding it from him.
Starmer has never been able to explain missing The Independent’s front page lead or not being informed by his director of comms, Tim Allan, seven months before. Now the papers have confirmed that The Independent’s exclusive story and other journalists’ inquiries had started an operation to save Starmer and stop Downing Street special advisers putting out incorrect information.
Mr Allan had told The Independent on 11 September 2025: “Vetting done in normal way by FCDO.”
We now know that this caused alarm for FCDO officials.
An email to senior Foreign Office official Caroline Hurndall on 13 September 2025 reveals concerns that Number 10 special advisers were not checking their information before answering questions on the issue.
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open image in galleryHurndall, who was principal private secretary to the foreign secretary and previously a senior diplomat, warned in an email, to the then top civil servant in the FCDO Robbins, and others: “Our comms team have been told that No 10 spads are handling the timeline issues; on this and on continued conversations on vetting, it’s very important for accuracy sake that our team have chance to check those lines before they are used, including on background.
“We’re keen to stay in lockstep and be speaking with one voice. Could you please encourage your spads and comms colleagues to stay in close touch with their oppos?”
The beginnings of a possible cover-up are also revealed in the same email thread.
Ailsa Terry, private secretary for foreign affairs for the prime minister in Downing Street, emailed: “We will need to be definitive/clear that ministers and No 10 are not involved in the vetting process in any way.”
The message appears to be aimed at shielding Starmer from blame seven months before he said Downing Street knew about the vetting failure even though clearly Downing Street was in the loop.
Meanwhile, in the thread, Robbins raised legal reasons to limit the flow of information.
He said: “I can understand why people are interested in questions like these [on vetting], but I think we need to be very careful about sharing such information. If this ends in court, this department will be the defendant.
“I will speak to Dan [York-Smith, principal private secretary to the prime minister] about making sure we are keeping the creation of new disclosable evidence within reasonable bounds.”
It normally takes at least two decades under the 20-year-rule of government publication to have your stories validated. The Mandelson scandal has brought that forward and shown that the concerns being raised by The Independent were at the heart of the unfolding crisis for this government.