The UK government published between 1,000 and more than 1,500 pages of documents related to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to Washington, a post he held from February to September 2025 [1, 2].
The released files reveal widespread doubts, infighting, and negative assessments within the Labour Party about Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government [1]. Mandelson himself sharply criticized Starmer’s leadership, stating, "Keir is not leading from the front and Morgan [McSweeney, his chief of staff] is not organising the centre as it needs to be. It stems from the top and Keir lacks verve as does the Cabinet as a whole." He described No. 10 as "beleaguered and bereft" [1].
Mandelson also targeted key Labour figures. He called Wes Streeting "hysterical" and said Streeting was "experiencing an early mid-life crisis" over Gaza. He described Rachel Reeves as "on a growth mission but without an argument about where the growth will come from or how" [1].
The files reignited controversy over Mandelson’s past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, which had led to reputational risks flagged in earlier vetting reports. The Epstein-related scandal contributed to turmoil inside the party and weakened confidence in Starmer’s leadership [1, 2].
In February 2026, Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned partly due to his role advising Mandelson’s appointment. Shortly after, Tim Allan, the director of communications, also left Downing Street [2].
A timeline shows Mandelson promised David Lammy in November 2024 that he would not disappoint if appointed ambassador to Washington [1]. He began his ambassadorial role in February 2025 and ended it in September 2025 [2]. An earlier tranche of Mandelson vetting documents highlighting Epstein-related risks was released in March 2026 [2]. The large batch of Mandelson files exposing Labour conflicts was published on June 1, 2026 [1, 2].
