Keir Starmer under fire as Britain releases Mandelson papers

LONDON: The UK government on Monday released more than 1,500 pages of documents relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, a disclosure that could renew political pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The documents, published on the government's website, include emails, text messages and other communications between ministers, officials, advisers and Mandelson before and during his tenure as US envoy from February to September 2025.

The release revives a controversy that has dogged Starmer's government since reports emerged about Mandelson's past links to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier documents published in March revealed that official vetting had flagged potential reputational risks associated with those connections.

Given the volume of material released, described by the government as one of the largest parliamentary disclosures ever made, the full political impact is unlikely to be immediately clear.


Starmer has faced criticism from opposition parties and members of his own Labour Party over his decision to appoint Mandelson, a veteran Labour figure whose career has been marked by multiple ministerial resignations and political controversies.

The episode has already contributed to significant upheaval within Downing Street. Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned in February after taking responsibility for advising the prime minister on the appointment.