No 10 will have no say on which Mandelson papers are released

The final decision on whether to publish sensitive materials concerning Peter Mandelson’s appointment and role as US ambassador will rest with senior Members of Parliament and peers. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) confirmed that the government has agreed the committee alone will determine which documents can be released. An understanding has been reached regarding the specific papers to be published, with the hope that some of these documents may be made public in the near future.

In addition to the ISC’s oversight, a framework has been established between the Metropolitan Police and the government to ensure that the disclosure of documents does not compromise a current criminal investigation into Lord Mandelson. A UK government spokesperson indicated that officials are working swiftly to release the initial batch of documents by early March, coordinating closely with the ISC to meet their requests.

Lord Mandelson is currently subject to a criminal investigation after allegations arose that he passed sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, during his time as a Labour minister. Following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Lord Mandelson was released on bail pending further inquiries. While he has not publicly commented, the BBC has reported that Mandelson maintains he acted lawfully and without financial motives.

The Metropolitan Police has advised the government against releasing certain documents that could jeopardize its investigation. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his intention to publish the documents but stressed that nothing compromising national security or diplomatic relations would be disclosed. Due to concerns about potential government influence, the process of document release was delegated to the cross-party ISC. The ISC has since received a written guarantee that neither the prime minister nor the government will have ultimate control over what information is deemed too sensitive to publish.

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, informed MPs that the first set of documents relating to Lord Mandelson would be made public in early March. Some materials, including communications between Mandelson and No 10 Downing Street, have been withheld based on police advice. Among the withheld exchanges are three questions from Sir Keir to Lord Mandelson about his friendship with Epstein prior to Mandelson’s diplomatic appointment. These questions concern his interactions with Epstein after Epstein’s conviction for soliciting prostitution with a minor, reports of Mandelson staying at Epstein’s residence during Epstein’s imprisonment, and his connection to a charity linked to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Sir Keir has asserted that the documents will demonstrate that Lord Mandelson lied about the extent of his relationship with Epstein, which allegedly persisted beyond Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Conversely, the BBC understands Lord Mandelson believes he provided truthful answers about his relationship with Epstein during the vetting process. Additionally, a request has been submitted to the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf) following the publication of communications between Mandelson and Epstein, according to a spokesperson for the European Commission

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