STORY
The Conservatives have accused Sir Keir Starmer of failing to disclose all relevant communications with Lord Mandelson following the publication of Government papers relating to his appointment as Britain’s ambassador to the United States. Alex Burghart, the Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, said it was difficult to believe that the documentary record contained so few messages between Mandelson and senior ministers, including the Prime Minister.
The latest row follows the release of 1,504 pages of documents on the appointment, including vetting material, WhatsApp exchanges and correspondence. Reuters reported that the files showed Mandelson pressing his case for the Washington post, criticising the Government and writing to David Lammy in 2024 that ministers would “never regret” appointing him.
The disclosure has kept pressure on Starmer at a difficult moment for the Government, with Labour MPs already considering the consequences of the Mandelson controversy and the party’s wider political position. The Government hopes the release will draw a line under the affair, but opposition parties are likely to continue pressing ministers over what was known, when it was known and whether all relevant material has been published.