Request for Lord Mandelson's Personal Phone Messages
Lord Mandelson is set to be asked to provide messages from his personal phone as part of the disclosure process concerning documents related to his appointment as the UK ambassador to the US, the BBC understands.
The Cabinet Office is preparing to release thousands of files following his dismissal from the ambassadorial role. These files include communications between Lord Mandelson and Labour ministers and advisers. However, to date, officials have only had access to the peer's work phone.
Government sources maintain that the plan to request additional messages from Lord Mandelson was always intended and emphasize that this action is unrelated to the theft of the phone belonging to Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir Starmer's former chief-of-staff.
Officials reportedly possess some messages exchanged between Mandelson and McSweeney but have declined to confirm whether any messages were lost due to the theft incident.
The messages on Lord Mandelson's personal phone could provide crucial context and fill gaps in exchanges that might otherwise be unavailable.
Opposition Concerns and Political Context
Opposition politicians believe these messages could reveal the frequency of Lord Mandelson's communications with figures within the Labour government and whether he exerted influence over their decision-making processes.
Lord Mandelson was dismissed as ambassador last year following revelations about his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Earlier this year, Members of Parliament compelled the government to disclose files related to his appointment after voting in favor of a Parliamentary motion introduced by the Conservative Party.
It is understood that Lord Mandelson will be asked to provide all documents within the scope of the motion, which would include messages with ministers and McSweeney dating back to summer 2024.
Morgan McSweeney had been a close political ally of Lord Mandelson for several years and resigned as Sir Keir Starmer's chief-of-staff in February following scrutiny over his involvement in the Washington appointment.
Initial File Releases and Security Concerns
An initial set of files published by the Cabinet Office earlier this month indicated that the UK's national security adviser had expressed concerns about Lord Mandelson to McSweeney.
The Cabinet Office has announced that a second, much larger batch of documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment will be published in the coming weeks.
McSweeney's work phone was stolen in October, a month after Lord Mandelson's dismissal but several months before MPs demanded the publication of relevant messages.
Controversy Over Phone Theft
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stated,
"something fishy is going on"
regarding the loss of McSweeney's phone and called for documents about the theft to be disclosed as well.
She added,
"some people have even suggested it would be in McSweeney's interest to walk around London waving his phone around until it was stolen".
On Thursday, the prime minister described the notion that McSweeney could have faked the theft of his phone as,
"a little bit far-fetched"
His remarks followed the Metropolitan Police's unusual decision to publish the full transcript of a call McSweeney made on 20 October last year reporting that his work phone had been snatched from his hand by a young man riding a bicycle as he walked down the street.
Claims of Dishonesty and Vetting Process
Sir Keir Starmer has stated that Lord Mandelson "lied" during the vetting process for his ambassadorial appointment, and Downing Street hopes the published documents will substantiate this claim.
It was publicly known at the time of Lord Mandelson's appointment that he had maintained a friendship with Epstein following the financier's initial conviction for soliciting prostitution with a minor.
Documents already released by the Cabinet Office reveal that Sir Keir was advised that Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein posed a "general reputational risk" prior to his confirmation as US ambassador.
Police Investigation and Document Restrictions
The police have requested that the Cabinet Office withhold certain documents from publication due to their ongoing investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office by Lord Mandelson.
One such document withheld is a vetting exchange involving three questions McSweeney asked Lord Mandelson regarding his ties to Epstein.
These questions are believed to have concerned his continued contact with Epstein after Epstein's first conviction for soliciting prostitution with a minor; reports that Mandelson had stayed at Epstein's residence while Epstein was imprisoned; and his association with a charity founded by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Lord Mandelson's Response
Lord Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment. However, the BBC understands that his position is that he has not acted criminally, was not motivated by financial gain, and answered questions about his relationship with Epstein accurately during the vetting process.
