Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered the publication of official records linked to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Britain’s ambassador to the United States, as pressure mounts over fresh revelations about Mandelson’s past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The decision is being framed by ministers as an attempt to “draw a line in the sand” and restore trust through transparency.
The move comes after the Conservatives prepared a Commons motion that would have forced the release of the Mandelson ambassador files, including communications detailing what Mandelson disclosed to Starmer during the vetting process. Rather than risk a divisive parliamentary vote amid growing unease among Labour MPs, Starmer instructed officials to begin releasing the material voluntarily.
The records are expected to include emails, messages and internal documents, with exemptions only for content judged to threaten national security or damage diplomatic relations. Ministers say the aim is openness without compromising sensitive state interests.
Police investigation adds urgency
The timing is further complicated by the fact that Metropolitan Police has formally opened a criminal investigation into allegations that Mandelson leaked confidential Downing Street communications and market-sensitive information to Epstein. Recent document releases by the US Department of Justice appear to show Mandelson, then a senior cabinet minister, sharing internal government discussions with the disgraced financier in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
Officials are now assessing whether some documents must first be reviewed by police before being made public, which could delay their release.
Ministers admit vetting assurances were incomplete
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the prime minister was pursuing “maximum transparency” after it became clear that Mandelson had not told “the whole truth” during the vetting process. Streeting said the latest disclosures confirmed Starmer’s “worst fears” and admitted that assurances sought during Mandelson’s appointment were incomplete.
Streeting also described a “deep sense of betrayal” felt within Labour, saying Mandelson had let down colleagues, successive prime ministers, and the victims of Epstein by failing to be fully candid.
Starmer faces questions over judgment
Opposition figures argue the scandal raises serious questions about Starmer’s judgment. Conservative party chair Kevin Hollinrake said the prime minister should not rely on broad exemptions to withhold information and accused him of knowingly appointing a politically controversial figure to one of the UK’s most sensitive diplomatic posts.
Labour insiders acknowledge the controversy risks engulfing Downing Street’s senior leadership, including the prime minister’s chief of staff, as scrutiny intensifies over how the appointment was approved.
Background to the Mandelson controversy
Mandelson was removed from his ambassadorial role last year after earlier disclosures about his links to Epstein resurfaced. The renewed focus follows a series of document dumps in the US that have reignited global scrutiny of Epstein’s political and financial network.
The UK government now hopes that releasing the Mandelson ambassador files will contain the political fallout, even as police inquiries and parliamentary pressure continue.