The Epstein files fatally damaged Peter Mandelson. Gone was his reputation as Westminster’s great survivor: the politician who could weather any scandal and return to the centre of power. Allegations that he leaked market-sensitive information to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after the financial crash led to a criminal investigation. The peer was sacked…
Britain’s beleaguered prime minister, Keir Starmer, was braced for fresh embarrassment on Monday with the expected release of hundreds of documents relating to Peter Mandelson, the former ambassador to the United States who was fired over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Mr. Mandelson lost his job last year after leaked emails showed the depth and…
Those with an understanding of how the embassy in Washington works describe it as being almost like a government department itself in size – and, crucially, with connections to so many aspects of the Whitehall government machine, given the importance of the UK-US relationship. This is particularly true on military and intelligence matters, much of…
Ever since the Guardian revealed last month that Peter Mandelson was given security clearance against the advice of the UK government’s vetting agency, one question has dominated in Westminster. What were the concerns that led United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) to tell the Foreign Office that his clearance should be denied in late January 2025,…
Whether a prime minister misled parliament is a serious matter. The pattern of statements made by Sir Keir Starmer about appointing Lord Mandelson as US ambassador may justify a parliamentary sleaze inquiry. Opposition parties claim that the prime minister misled MPs over the process that led to the peer taking the Washington job. But they…
MPs reject Conservative proposal over Mandelson MPs voted 335-223 against the motion, meaning the government won by a majority of 112. Share Key events 5m ago A summary of today’s developments 35m ago MPs reject Conservative proposal over Mandelson 1h ago Iranian ambassador summoned over ‘unacceptable’ social media post 2h ago Peers drop opposition to…
Morgan McSweeney has given evidence to MPs about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s former top aide described finding out about the closeness of Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as “a knife through my soul’ and said that the decision to appoint him was “wrong”. Here are some key moments from…
It is unlikely that events this week at the foreign affairs select committee will deliver a knockout blow to Sir Keir Starmer over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s US ambassador. Westminster will instead see a stress test, forcing competing versions of events into the open – a risk for Downing Street if the story crystallises unfavourably….
A good leader never asks their people to do something they wouldn’t do themselves. Hold others to the highest standards, by all means, but only if you have equally high expectations of yourself: otherwise you may command obedience in politics but never respect, and over time even that grudging compliance may come laced with contempt….
He is likely to set out to the Foreign Affairs Committee the context in which his initial decision was taken – that Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador had already been publicly announced and his interpretation of the law, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, 2010, was that he was not authorised to share the conclusions…
