Six things we learned from the Mandelson files

The latest tranche of information into Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States has been released. This release is the result of a humble address brought by the Conservatives in parliament on 4 February, which has compelled the government to compile and share all messages, emails and documents relating to Mandelson’s instalment in the role. 

Large swathes of the release are redacted, mostly owing to the ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation into Mandelson. It is for this reason that Mandelson’s vetting file is not included. 

(Not all of the missing information is due to the investigation. The government admitted in the Commons this afternoon that some messages may not have been backed up where devices were changed, or disappearing messages switched on.)

This is the second tranche of documents to be released and – at over 1,000 pages – is the largest government publication to be put before the Commons since the Chilcot Inquiry in 2016. 

Here’s what we learned from this latest release: 

1. This is only part of the picture: Mandelson refused to hand over information held on his personal phone

In a preamble attached to this latest release, the government sets out its methodology in complying with the humble address. Ministers, special advisers, permanent secretaries and other senior officials were required to hand over their messages with Mandelson in order that the government might comply with the address. The government approached Mandelson through his lawyers, the methodology reads, to request any information held on his personal phone. “Peter Mandelson declined to comply with the request. The government has no further recourse to search the personal devices of Peter Mandelson.”

2. Pat McFadden was privately critical of the government’s approach to welfare spending 

In May 2025, shortly before the government faced a rebellion on welfare spending, McFadden said in a text to Mandelson: “Every meeting I have is ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’”. At the time, McFadden was the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – the minister in charge of the Cabinet Office. But after the September 2025 re-shuffle, McFadden was moved to the Department of Work and Pensions, where he oversees a brief which includes welfare and benefits. In his May 2025 exchange with Mandelson he added: “they’re asking the wrong questions.” 

Mandelson and McFadden appear to have spoken frequently. At one point, Mandelson appears to have accidentally video called McFadden, before quickly responding: “Pocket”. 

3. Mandelson thinks Starmer “lacks verve”

In another set of messages to McFadden, Mandelson accused Keir Starmer of lacking “verve”. Discussing Labour’s losses following the May 2025 local elections, McFadden asked Mandelson: “What do we actually do”. He responded: “It stems from the top and Keir lacks verve as does the cabinet as a whole.” In a later exchange, from July, Mandelson described No 10 as “beleaguered and bereft” adding that it needs a “complete revamp”. 

4. Mandelson tried to set up a meeting between Starmer and Peter Thiel

In an email from 22 July 2025, Mandelson wrote to the Prime Minister’s then chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, suggesting Starmer meet Thiel, who was planning to visit London that August. “This celebrated techie is in London til Aug 9,” Mandelson wrote, “would the PM like to meet him?”. (There is no public record of the meeting taking place.) 

The files also reveal Mandelson’s closeness to another US tech boss, Sam Altman. In WhatsApp messages to the then AI minister, Feryal Clark, Mandelson described Altman as his “chief AI buddy in the US”. 

5. Foreign office officials warned that Mandelson’s appointment was being rushed

The then head of the security and resilience at the Foreign Office, Gerard McGurk, warned in an email in January 2025 to a redacted recipient that time was running out to get Mandelson through vetting before he had to depart for Washington. McGurk wrote: “The primary issue appears to be one of time – or lack of it relative to Lord Mandelson trying to get 101 things done in a very short period of time (including an audience with the King) before he departs for Washington.” He added: “I think he essentially has a two week window to get everything done before flying to the US.”

6. Donald Trump was nearly given a personalised Red Box

Officials were sent into a frenzy over the acquisition of a ministerial Red Box for Trump with his name and a presidential seal on it, ready for the US president’s state visit. Olly Robbins, the recently sacked permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, said it would be “one of the gifts that would mean the most to the President.” The process of acquiring the box became so complicated, however, that in August 2025, Mandelson emailed McSweeney: “I’ve gone tonto on this.” He added: “The saga goes on. See Olly email. This is like something out of the Thick of It.” 

[Further reading: Westminster: Stop watching The Thick of It]