Withering quips and a constant critic: Mandelson's negativity about Starmer is clear to seepublished at 16:20 BST

16:20 BST

Joe Pike
Political correspondent

The negativity about Keir Starmer and his government is plain to see among these reams of private messages.

Lord Mandelson seems to be a constant critic although, to be fair to the peer, he has experience from serving under three prime ministers.

Mandelson claims that former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney effectively viewed the PM's instincts as weak, and that Starmer has always been on a "cycle" of "advance/ buckle/ advance/ buckle."

The BBC has approached Morgan McSweeney for comment.

Most of the Labour peers withering quips come in messages to cabinet minister Pat McFadden.

Mandelson says that the Number 10 operation is "beleaguered and bereft".

He argues that they "don't work as a team, they are not led and none of them really knows what Keir thinks or wants."

But his final sentence is utterly condescending: "In fact most of them don't think Keir knows what he wants."

The latest Mandelson files - in numberspublished at 16:15 BST

16:15 BST

By Thomas Copeland

Looking at the contents pages for the documents released today by the government we get an idea of how much correspondence has been disclosed relating to Lord Mandelson’s time as UK ambassador to Washington.

The files are spread over three volumes and 1,504 pages. In total, we can see there are:

• 340 emails, or email chains
• 56 separate WhatsApp conversations, some running to hundreds of messages
• 15 letters
• Notes from 26 meetings

Today’s release is more than 10 times the size of the files published on 11 March which amounted to one 147-page PDF document.

Jones confirms Mandelson's vetting file - which has not been included in this tranche of documents - has been shared with the Intelligence and Security Committee.

It’s understood the Metropolitan Police have asked for the file to be held back while they investigate him on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Mandelson has denied wrongdoing.

Jones says it was shared with the committee for the purpose of agreeing redactions, so that it can be published "when we are in a position to do so".

"Highly sensitive personal data inputs" collected during the interview process - such as how much money an individual might have, or personal relationships - hasn't been shared, Jones explains, to protect "the integrity of the whole system".

The government believes - with the exception of the documents currently withheld at the request at the police - it has "duly discharged the duties set out in the humble address", Jones says.

Jones says over 300 individual documents were referred to the Intelligence and Security Committee for approval on redactions.

He confirms that no material has been redacted on the grounds of prejudice to national security or international relations without the committee's approval.

Jones then addresses the Metropolitan Police investigation into Mandelson, saying the force has asked for some material to be withheld due to the ongoing investigation.

This material will be published at the conclusion of the investigation or when it is no longer prejudicial to publish it.

People might have questions on what they perceive to be "missing messages", Jones adds.

"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."

As a reminder, you can follow along with Jones's comments in the Commons by clicking watch live above.

Image source, House of Commons

Turning to the Commons now, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones starts by saying it is important to remember Epstein's victims and his crimes against "countless women and girls".

He says that the second tranche of documents, which has just been released, is one of the largest government publications ever and cost the Cabinet Office alone over £1m.

He says that time is needed to go through the documents and there will be a general debate on Wednesday so further questions can take place.

While Darren Jones is speaking in the Commons, we're filtering through more than 1,000 pages of newly-released documents relating to Peter Mandelson.

Here's a recap of what we've seen so far:

• Mandelson said the government would "never regret" his appointment as US ambassador in a handwritten letter to then Foreign Secretary David Lammy
• The files show that when the government asked Mandelson to hand over his WhatsApp messages, the peer "declined to comply"
• PM Keir Starmer "lacks verve", Mandelson told cabinet minister Pat McFadden in May last year. He also said that No 10 requires a "complete revamp"
• Although the much discussed vetting file for Mandelson to become ambassador is not included in the document dump, BBC Political Correspondent Joe Pike notes that there is discussion included in the documents over his clearance

In case you need a reminder of what the files are all about, here's a brief look at why they matter:

Image source, House of Commons

As we continue to trawl through the latest batch of the so-called Mandelson files, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has started speaking in the House of Commons.

You can watch live at the top of this page, and stay with us for all of the latest updates on what Jones says, as well as more details from the tranche of files.

Lord Mandelson was critical of the government getting rid of VAT exemptions for private schools, his messages show.

Mandelson spoke briefly about the policy in a text exchange with the Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Angela Smith on 31 August 2024.

The government introduced VAT on school fees in January 2025.

Baroness Smith wrote there was "grumpiness on our side from more on our side than I'd like on getting rid of the VAT exemption in private schools and the retirement age."

She adds that Lords reform "is always interesting" and that it is great to be back in government.

Responding, Mandelson says: "I am afraid I think the VAT policy was probably unwise".

Files show that Peter Mandelson suggested Prime Minister Keir Starmer is "consistently going for direction B" in a text exchange with Pat McFadden.

In a conversation in July 2025, Mandelson told McFadden: "I went in to No 10 after I saw you. It is beleaguered and bereft. It requires complete revamp and infusion of purpose and confidence to get anywhere."

While the two discussed staff in No 10, Mandelson suggests the team around Starmer "are not led and none of them really know what Keir thinks or wants. In fact most of them don’t think Keir knows what he wants".

In the exchange, which took place on 30 July 2025, Mandelson suggests Starmer is consistently choosing "direction B" over direction A.

"His recanting on his immigration speech, on welfare, now Gaza," he lists, adding: "There is definitely a “let Keir be Keir” trend. This is what Morgan [McSweeney] senses and so it is particularly acute for him".

Mandelson adds: "His view from when Keir first stood is that the cycle has been the same, advance/buckle/advance/buckle."

Joe Pike
Political correspondent

The man who is now work and pensions secretary described conversations he had with other Labour politicians about the welfare system and public spending in a pretty blunt way.

"Every meeting I have is 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others'," Pat McFadden wrote to Lord Mandelson in May 2025.

"They're asking the wrong questions," McFadden adds.

Allies of McFadden point out that message was sent before he was in charge of the UK's benefits regime. He was running the cabinet office at the time.

A spokesperson for the work and pensions secretary says: “Pat has fully complied with the Humble Address and handed over all messages.

“His only contact with Peter Mandelson since he left government has been to urge him to think about the victims in all this and apologise to them.”

In an exchange with cabinet minister Pat McFadden, in May 2025, Mandelson wrote that "Keir lacks verve as does the Cabinet as a whole."

Mandelson and McFadden, who was then a cabinet minister for intergovernmental relations, appeared to be discussing the government's strategy following Labour's losses in last year's May local elections.

McFadden asks: "What do we actually do?"

Mandelson replies: "It stems from the top and Keir lacks verve as does the Cabinet as a whole. People’s heads are broadly in the right place but you need more people who can execute."

Joe Pike
Political correspondent

The security official at the centre of the Lord Mandelson vetting row said in an email to senior officials that both the Foreign Office and Cabinet Office had agreed that Mandelson must undergo Developed Vetting (DV).

Ian Collard, the Foreign Office's chief security officer, said that both departments had decided that "Lord Mandelson should undergo the normal DV clearance procedure".

For context: This process is carried out by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), a specialist agency within the Cabinet Office and is designed to identify whether people applying for government jobs pose a security risk.

Collard said there was an "exemptions policy" but that this had not been created for "the unusual situation of MPs/Lords being appointed to ambassadorial positions".

He also said: "We all recognise that the US are strict about clearance matters, and will likely check Lord Mandelson's clearance... ahead of any sensitive discussions he will be invited to upon arrival in Washington.

"Failure to report the correct clearance could have an awkward impact, which we would want to avoid."

The documents reveal officials said Mandelson would also have to "apply for STRAP clearance" which would allow him to view secret and top secret government documents.

In a WhatsApp message exchange between Lord Mandelson and pensions minister Torsten Bell, Bell refers to the "big picture" of government as "messy".

Mandelson says: "It's messy because the government doesn’t do policy, generally speaking, well enough”.

In the July 2025 exchange, Bell asks Mandelson which government he is referring to, to which the then-ambassador says: "Our government!"

Swansea West MP Bell then replies: "Well that is definitely true - everyone seems to think it's someone else's job to get the policy right... which is very odd."

Mandelson then says: "As the saying goes, rubbish in rubbish out..."

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent

The Business Secretary Peter Kyle said he would "action" advice from Lord Mandelson to include "more positive language about AI" at the start of a speech at a major international security conference.

On 8 February 2025, Mandelson told Kyle, who was then the government’s technology secretary, that his speech would "benefit from more positive language about AI up front before you get into the security stuff".

Kyle replied: "That's all v good advice which I'll action. Thank you."

Six days later Kyle gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference in which he said "in the UK, we reject the doomsayers and the pessimists" about artificial intelligence.

One message exchange shows Lord Mandelson commiserating with former transport secretary Louise Haigh, when she resigned from the prime minister's Cabinet after it emerged she pleaded guilty to a fraud offence a decade ago.

"Lou, I am very sorry about this," he says in a WhatsApp sent on 29 November 2024 - the day of her resignation.

"You have been brave and loyal in your decision but it seems harsh given you were appointed in full knowledge."

"But you have acted in a way that enables you to come back later and everything you say and do now should be done with that in mind. Strong and honourable," he adds.

Haigh replies: "Thank you Peter, that was a really kind message."

Joe Pike
Political correspondent

Peter Mandelson refused to hand over his own WhatsApp messages to the government, the files show.

The explanatory notes at the start of the document dump explains that "on 31 March the [Cabinet Office] wrote to Peter Mandelson - via his solicitors - to request any information held on his personal phone.

"Peter Mandelson declined to comply with this request. The government has no further recourse to search the personal devices of Peter Mandelson."

Allies of the Labour peer have previously said it would not be appropriate for him to hand over documents to government while the Metropolitan Police investigation is still ongoing.

It's understood many of Mandelson's text messages as ambassador were on his official work phone and this was taken off him soon after he was sacked.

The BBC has approached Lord Mandelson for comment.

Lord Mandelson told Justice Secretary David Lammy that he would make sure the government "never regret" appointing him as US ambassador, files released by the government show.

In a handwritten note, dated 18 November, 2024, Mandelson writes if the government "were to appoint me I would make sure you never regret it".

At the time, Lammy was foreign secretary.

Mandelson was announced as the UK's ambassador to the US the following month, on 20 December 2024.

Joe Pike
Political correspondent

Mandelson and senior officials discussed commissioning an official government “red box” to give as a gift to Donald Trump, the documents reveal.

Amid complications in organising this, the former US ambassador told then-No 10 chief of staff Morgan McSweeney he’d “gone tonto” and that the “saga” was “like something out of [TV comedy show the] The Thick of It”.

Olly Robbins, then the top official at the Foreign Office, said “one of the gifts that would mean the most to the President would be a red dispatch box with the gold crest and lettering mimicking a UK Government Ministerial box but with “President of the United States” inscribed upon it".

The government has released three volumes each made up of hundreds of pages relating to Lord Mandelson.

The first volume is made up of 598 pages, while the second has 554 pages and the third has 352 pages.

The documents include a mixture of WhatsApp messages, emails and hard-copy files, and they include exchanges between politicians.

The latest batch of files relating to Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US has just been released.

We're combing through the documents now, and will bring you the key lines shortly. Stay with us.