Key messages between Mandelson and ministers

Key messages between Mandelson and ministersJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePA MediaLord Mandelson with the prime minister in February 2025, shortly after his appointment as the UK's ambassador to the United StatesThe government has published more than 1,000 pages of documents relating to Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US.The papers include messages between Lord Mandelson and ministers, exchanging advice and news - as well as criticism of the No 10 operation, Labour MPs and the prime minister himself.Criticism of No 10 and Keir StarmerOn 2 May 2025, Lord Mandelson wrote to the Pat McFadden (then a Cabinet Office minister, now the work and pensions secretary) saying: "Keir lacks verve as does the Cabinet as a whole."Then in July that year, messages between the two appear to show Lord Mandelson criticising advisers in No 10, saying they are good but "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."Later that month, in a further message to McFadden, Lord Mandelson says: "I have a feeling that Keir is now consistently going for direction B. His recanting on his immigration speech, on welfare, now Gaza."There is definitely a 'let Keir be Keir' trend. This is what Morgan [McSweeney] senses and so it is particularly acute for him. His view from when Keir first stood is that the cycle has been the same, advance/buckle/advance/buckle."Lord Mandelson later adds: "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."MPs' concernsIn the exchanges, McFadden also describes 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...