Lord Mandelson Criticised Downing Street and Keir Starmer in Private Messages
Long-anticipated government documents have brought to light private exchanges in which Lord Mandelson expressed significant disapproval of Downing Street, the Prime Minister, and Labour MPs. These 1,500 pages of communications pertain to Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK Ambassador to the US, a role from which he was subsequently removed due to his associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In one message, Lord Mandelson characterised Number 10 as "beleaguered and bereft," asserting that it required a "complete revamp." Another exchange featured minister Pat McFadden apparently lamenting Labour backbenchers, stating: "Every meeting I have is 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others'. They're asking the wrong questions." Mr McFadden, then a Cabinet Office minister and now the Work and Pensions Secretary, has since publicly maintained that his focus is on opportunity rather than entitlement.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch seized on the revelations, commenting, "Pat McFadden has said in private what he and the prime minister deny in public. Labour MPs don't understand where money comes from."
Welfare Bill Rebellion and Leadership Doubts
Messages from late June 2025 show Lord Mandelson and Mr McFadden discussing the government's welfare bill, which aimed to reduce the benefits expenditure by £5 billion by 2030. A substantial rebellion by Labour MPs compelled the government to significantly dilute its proposals.
Prior to the vote, Mr McFadden noted that MPs were "not moving," to which Lord Mandelson responded with concern that the government might lose the vote, adding, "I am not sure that Keir survives that." Mr McFadden concurred, stating, "He is meeting the ringleaders today. I think it's very bad. Defeat, pull bill or gut it all destroy his authority."
Weeks later, the two discussed Morgan McSweeney, then the Prime Minister's chief of staff. Lord Mandelson claimed McSweeney "seemed to be saying to me last night that he has no faith in Keir's ability to change No 10 and that he needs to prioritize winning majority support in PLP instead." He concluded, "I am slightly losing faith in all this."
In a subsequent exchange, Lord Mandelson asked Mr McFadden for his assessment of Number 10. Mr McFadden replied, "Not good," adding that advisers "came to see me the other day. I don't think they know what they want." Lord Mandelson concluded, "If they don't explain what they want very clearly what is Keir supposed to do? Rubbish in, rubbish out." He suggested Mr McFadden needed "the sort of status and remit that I had with GB [Gordon Brown]."
Around the same period, Lord Mandelson communicated with another minister, Torsten Bell, observing: "The government doesn't do policy, generally speaking, well enough. It all starts with policy." Mr Bell, now a Treasury minister, replied, "Everyone seems to think it's someone else's job to get the policy right… which is very odd."
