The latest installment of documents for the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States has been published. That’s the result of a modest speech brought by the Conservatives to parliament on February 4, which has forced the government to compile and share all messages, emails and documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment to the role.
Much of the release has been redacted, largely because of the ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation into Mandelson. For this reason, documents relating to Mandelson’s vetting are not included. Not all missing information is due to investigation. The Government admitted in the Commons this afternoon that some messages may not have been saved where devices have been changed or disappearing messages have been activated.
This is the second collection of documents to be released and – at over 1,000 pages – it is the largest government publication to be put before the Commons since John Chilcot’s Iraq Inquiry in 2016.
Here’s what we learned from this latest release:
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1. This is only part of the picture: Mandelson refused to hand over information held on his personal phone
In a preamble attached to this latest publication, the government sets out its methodology in accordance with the modest address. Ministers, special advisers, permanent secretaries and other senior officials were ordered to give up communications. The government approached Mandelson through his lawyers, the filing said, to request any information held on his personal phone. “Peter Mandelson refused to comply with this request. The government has no further opportunity to search Peter Mandelson’s personal devices.”
2. Pat McFadden was privately critical of the government’s approach to welfare spending
In May 2025, just before the government faced a rebellion over welfare spending, McFadden said in a text to Mandelson: “Every meeting I have is ‘who can we tax to pay benefits to others'”. At the time, McFadden was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – the highest-ranking minister in the Cabinet Office. But after the September 2025 reshuffle, McFadden moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, where he oversees an overview that includes welfare and benefits. In his May 2025 exchange with Mandelson he added: “they are asking the wrong questions”.
Mandelson and McFadden appear to have spoken frequently. At one point, Mandelson appears to have accidentally called McFadden, before quickly replying: “Pocket”.
3. Mandelson thinks Starmer ‘lacks guts’
In another set of messages to McFadden, Mandelson accused Keir Starmer of lacking “judgement”. Discussing Labour’s losses after the May 2025 local elections, McFadden asked Mandelson: “What do we actually do”. He replied: “It comes from the top and Keir lacks courage as does the cabinet as a whole.” In a later exchange, from July, Mandelson described No 10 as “beleaguered and lost” adding that it needed a “complete rebuild”.
4. Mandelson tried to set up a meeting between Starmer and Peter Thiel
In an email from 22 July 2025, Mandelson wrote to the Prime Minister’s then chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, suggesting that Starmer meet Thiel, who was planning to visit London that August. “This famous technician is in London until August 9,” wrote Mandelson, “would the Prime Minister like to meet him?”. (There is no public record of the meeting taking place.)
The files also reveal Mandelson’s closeness to another US tech boss, Sam Altman. In WhatsApp messages to then AI minister Feryal Clark, Mandelson described Altman as his “main AI friend in the US”.
5. Foreign Office officials warned that Mandelson’s appointment was being rushed
The then head of security and stability at the Foreign Office, Gerard McGurk, warned in a January 2025 email to a redacted recipient that time was running out to get Mandelson through vetting before he left for Washington. McGurk wrote: “The main issue appears to be one time – or the lack of it – with Mr Mandelson trying to do 101 things in a very short period of time (including an audience with the King) before heading to Washington.” He added: “I think he basically has two weeks to do everything before he flies to the US.”
6. Donald Trump was almost given a personalized Red Box
Officials went into a frenzy to buy a ministerial Red Box for Trump with his name and a presidential seal on it, ready for the US president’s state visit. Olly Robbins, the recently sacked permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, said it would be “one of the gifts that would mean the most to the president”. The process of getting the box became so complicated, however, that in August 2025, Mandelson emailed McSweeney: “I’ve gone too far into this.” He added: “The saga continues. See Olly’s email. It’s like never ending Thick of it.
(Further reading: Westminster: Stop watching The Thick of It)
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