Evidence about ‘Peter Mandelson’s efforts to influence Cabinet reshuffle to secure more political influence for his allies’ could lead Met to widen probe
Potentially explosive evidence of Peter Mandelson’s alleged efforts to influence a Cabinet reshuffle to secure greater political influence for his allies has been kept out of public view.
The messages between the disgraced former US ambassador and Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir Starmer’s one-time private secretary, were expected to be published as part of the second part of documents made public last week.
But their absence has fueled mystery in Whitehall and allegations have emerged that they were being held back as the police investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office widened by Mandleson. However, a Met source last night denied this claim.
The messages are understood to show the Labor leader lobbying for Peter Kyle to become business secretary during his time in Washington; This task was duly given to him during the earthquake last September.
In his previous job as science and technology secretary, Mr Kyle was a cheerleader for the artificial intelligence industry, a lucrative source of income for Lord Mandelson’s consultancy business.
The messages show Mandelson publicly stated his support for the controversial technology following his recommendation.
A minister told The Mail last night on Sunday: ‘Peter thought it was impossible to properly promote the AI agenda unless Kyle was business secretary.’
In one message, Mandelson is thought to have told Mr McSweeney: ‘Are you taking Peter away from me?’
Seen here at the Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore in September 2019, Peter Mandelson is said to have lobbied for the appointment of Peter Kyle as business secretary; This task was duly assigned to him during the changeover last September.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle steps out of Downing Street ahead of May Cabinet meeting
Last night a senior government source told the MoS that reshuffle messages were not published because police were ‘in custody’. [them] While in Gordon Brown’s government, Mandelson returned to avoid damaging the ongoing criminal investigation into that precedent’s communications with pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
However, a senior source involved in the investigation told the MoS the messages were not currently part of the investigation and were not being withheld at their request. However, they said the messages could be ‘reviewed’ later.
Mandelson co-founded a consulting firm called Global Counsel, which has commercial agreements with artificial intelligence giants OpenAI and Palantir.
In February 2025, two days before Mandelson was to take office as US ambassador, the colleague told Mr Kyle that his keynote address at the Munich Security Conference “would have been more helpful if it used more positive language about artificial intelligence”. Mr Kyle replied: ‘This is all good advice and I will take action.’
Six days later, Mr Kyle made his speech to hail ‘a new era of wealth and prosperity’ with the help of technology.
By this point, Mandelson had stepped down as a director of Global Counsel but still retained a large shareholding.
A Cabinet Minister told the MoS: ‘Peter was working closely with Kyle. He was lobbying for it [be] business secretary.’
Confidential messages from Mandelson to Mr McSweeney included the question ‘Have you solved the Darren problem?’ about Darren Jones, then chief secretary to the Treasury. It appears to contain the line . During the reshuffle he became the Prime Minister’s principal secretary.
Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, speaks at an event in Prague, Czech Republic, in May.
It emerged that Mr Jones had contacted Mandelson, who was sacked last week over his Epstein connections, with these fawning words: ‘You’ve done such a great job and you’ve done wonders with Trump. ‘I’m so sorry about today.’ The statement came after Mr Jones denied sending such a message.
Last week’s batch of messages also showed Mandelson lobbying on behalf of Jon Garvie, a former Global Counsel colleague who is now director of strategy in the government’s National Security Secretariat.
Mr McSweeney told MPs this year that Mandelson was unimpressed by the change, insisting: ‘I have not responded to any of Mandelson’s messages. None of his suggestions actually turned out to be true, so his ideas were not pursued.’
But a Cabinet source said: ‘[Mandelson] It was directly related. The messages show that the people he expressed interest in were actually the same people affected.
No 10 refused to comment last night. A Met Police source said the investigation was still ongoing.
Mandelson strongly denies allegations of misconduct in public office or that he acted for financial gain.
