Officials seek Mandelson's personal messages for file release
Officials seek Mandelson's personal messages for file release
Cabinet Office to publish thousands of documents on Mandelson's ambassadorship, asking for messages from his personal phone as part of transparency efforts.
Officials are set to publish thousands of documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US, but so far only access to his work phone has been available. The Cabinet Office says it will ask Mandelson to hand over messages from his personal device as part of the disclosure exercise. The move applies to all individuals with relevant messages, not just the former Labour peer.
Government sources stress the request is about electronic communications between Mandelson and ministers, officials and advisers, and is aimed at piecing together exchanges that may otherwise be unavailable. Mandelson was sacked as ambassador last year after revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier this year MPs pressed the government to disclose the files relating to his appointment, voting in favour of a motion that required all papers starting six months before he became ambassador.
The plan to retrieve personal-device messages is not linked to the recent theft of a phone belonging to Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir Starmer's former chief of staff, according to officials. No definitive confirmation has been given about whether other messages may have been lost or are recoverable. The disclosures are intended to shed light on how often Mandelson spoke with Labour ministers and advisers and whether he influenced decision-making during the run-up to his appointment.
