Mandelson took up the position in February 2025 but was sacked seven months later after files released by the U.S. Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein showed that Mandelson’s relationship with the late convicted sex offender extended beyond what he’d previously disclosed.
Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February. He remains under investigation and has not been charged.
TIME has reached out to Mandelson’s legal representatives for comment in light of the newly-released files.
The first batch of Mandelson files released in March revealed that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was warned of the “reputational risks” associated with Mandelson over his relationship with Epstein when considering his appointment as ambassador to the U.S.
Starmer fiercely denied having prior knowledge of the initial failed vetting process and told parliament that “a deliberate decision was taken to withhold that material” from him.
The latest files, released at the behest of opposition lawmakers, have uncovered further items of correspondence from Mandelson—some that mention Starmer in a negative light.
A handwritten letter from Mandelson to then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy (who now serves as Justice Secretary) shows his eagerness to hold the D.C. position.
Mandelson was seemingly referring to the speculation that he might be headed to D.C. and the resurfacing of his previous ties to Epstein.
Mandelson went on to reference U.S. President Donald Trump, who had recently been elected to return to the White House.
“If we all put our best minds and energy to it, I think we can pull it off, but we have to be realistic.”
Lammy addressed the release of the files on Monday by showcasing a letter addressed to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, during which he answered questions they had posed to him about the appointment of Mandelson.
“I apologize for the role I played in Peter Mandelson’s appointment and I deeply regret that he was ever appointed in the first place,” he emphasized.
Mandelson said Starmer “lacks verve” in critical WhatsApp messages
McFadden spoke with Mandelson—then serving as the U.K. ambassador to the U.S.—about the Labour Party’s losses in the local elections.
To which Mandelson replied: “It stems from the top and Keir [Starmer] 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.”
Mandelson went on to say the government needs “more panache” and later suggested it could behave “in a more Trumpian risk-taking and daredevil way.”
In an email dated Aug. 26, 2025, Olly Robbins, the former senior British civil servant who was effectively fired in April amid backlash over the appointment of Mandelson, tells Cabinet Office staff that “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 U.K. Government Ministerial box but with 'President of the United States' inscribed upon it.”
In an email addressed to Morgan McSweeney, the former Downing Street chief-of-staff who resigned in February after taking “full responsibility" for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson, the former ambassador said: "This is like something out of Thick of it…I have gone tonto on this."
Another message saw Mandelson complain about the "incompetence" as to how the gift was arranged, after he expressed concern that it might not be ready on time.
Mandelson appeared to push back on declaring his contacts with officials in foreign governments
As part of Mandelson’s security vetting that took place in January 2025 ahead of his stint as ambassador in Washington, the United Kingdom Security Vetting (USKV) asked him to complete a form “concentrating on current or recent contacts.”
He continued: “Could you be a bit more specific about what sort of person, how far back, who I have done more than meet? Do you mean friends? Counterpart ministers? People in business?”
Mandelson later sought advice from an unnamed junior official, who told him: ”I suggest you send over the handful of names you mentioned, even though you don’t consider them ‘close contacts.’ That will reassure the vetting team that you’ve been comprehensive, even if it’s all quite artificial.”
Mandelson described Downing Street as “beleaguered and bereft”
In WhatsApp messages from July 30, 2025, Mandelson said: “I went into No. 10 after I saw you. It is beleaguered and bereft. It requires complete revamp and infusion of purpose and confidence to get anywhere.”
Reflecting on staff in No. 10, Mandelson went on to argue: “They don’t work as a team, they 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.”
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