Starmer times Mandelson file drop to dodge PMQs say furious MPs | Politics | News
Downing Street was reportedly caught timing the release of the Mandelson files after Prime Minister’s Questions; a planning decision that opposition MPs say is designed to shield Sir Keir Starmer from the most uncomfortable questions of his premiership.
The first batch of documents will come online on Wednesday afternoon, at which point PMQs will end and the weekly Downing Street media briefing, where reporters can press officials on the content, will be over. The Express understands that one of Starmer’s most trusted allies and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, will make a statement to MPs after the PMQs coincide with the broadcast, ensuring the Prime Minister himself remains out of the line of fire.
It is claimed that the documents arriving this week cover the ground that is most personally damaging to Starmer; The review and due diligence process carried out before Lord Mandelson is handed over to the Washington embassy in 2024. These include secret correspondence between Cabinet Office, Downing Street and Foreign Office officials touching on Mandelson’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, state reports show.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said the timing was no coincidence. “No wonder the Prime Minister wants to dodge questions. He has his fingers on everything,” he said. “He had already admitted that he knew about Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with Epstein when he appointed him. His judgment has been repeatedly found wanting.”
What is being published and why?
According to the Telegraph newspaper, the Government did not provide these documents voluntarily. He was dragged to the broadcast table by a modest motion to speak out, led by the Conservative Party, which forced ministers to hand over reams of material, including correspondence between Mandelson, ministers and officials, files examined, minutes of meeting No. 10, assessments of his business interests and details of payments made after his dismissal last year.
The report said Wednesday’s announcement was preceded by weeks of proofreading, overseen by an independent panel of MPs and colleagues.
WhatsApp and text messages between Mandelson and ministers are also in the pipeline, though they are stripped of anything deemed sensitive to national security or international relations. Meanwhile, authorities are working through thousands of emails from his years in public office to support the Metropolitan Police’s investigation.
The accusations he faced
Lord Mandelson was arrested on 23 February on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. The trigger was the emergence of emails showing that Epstein had passed secret government material to the pedophile financier while he was business secretary under Gordon Brown.
The messages suggested that he gave Epstein privileged insight into economic valuations and future policy thinking; This was the kind of advanced intelligence that could be extremely valuable to anyone with money in the markets.
Mandelson apologized to Epstein’s victims for maintaining a friendship but disputed any allegations against him, including accusations of misconduct. No 10 has pledged future legislation that would strip its own rank and tighten rules on stripping the titles of disgraced peers.
The Express has approached Downing Street for comment.
