LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - Britain's government released reams of documents on Monday relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, offering a glimpse into the often acerbic world of Westminster and his messy clearance for the job.
The Mandelson saga, which forced the departure of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's closest aide, has become a focus for criticism of Britain's prime minister, who is fighting for his political survival against a probable leadership challenge.
In a 1,504-page document, the government released messages — ranging from vetting emails to personal WhatsApps — in a data dump it hopes will take some of the focus off Starmer and show that Mandelson was less than frank over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
MANDELSON: 'YOU WILL NEVER REGRET' THE APPOINTMENT
In one document, the government said it had written to Mandelson on March 31 to request any information held on his personal phone as part of an investigation into his appointment and work - something he had declined to hand over.
Private messages from Mandelson - who was twice sacked from cabinet under Labour's longest-serving prime minister, Tony Blair - show him regularly chatting to Labour insiders, pressing his case and sometimes exchanging criticisms of the government.
In a handwritten note to then-foreign minister David Lammy on November 18, 2024, Mandelson writes: "I just wanted you to know that if you were minded to appoint me (as ambassador), I would make sure you never regret it."
He also said he went "tonto" over the government's failure to immediately approve a personalised red ministerial box as a gift to U.S. President Donald Trump, using a slang term for going crazy.
He also took a swipe at Starmer, telling senior minister Pat McFadden he believed "Keir is not leading from the front".
In the same exchange, McFadden told Mandelson the government was "asking the wrong questions", saying that every meeting was about "who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others".
The government hopes the release of the documents and his messages will put an end to questions surrounding Starmer's judgment in appointing a man whose friendship with Epstein was known. But they are unlikely to silence calls for the prime minister to stand down after Labour lost in local elections last month.
Mandelson is under police investigation for allegedly leaking government documents to the late Epstein. He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.
An initial tranche of documents was released in March, which showed Starmer was warned of the risks of the appointment, not just over Mandelson's ties to Epstein but also because of the Labour veteran's support for closer ties with China.
Starmer now faces a possible leadership challenge later this year, if his main rival, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, wins a seat in parliament in an election on June 18.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout, Sarah Young, Sam Tabahriti, Muvija M; Editing by Kate Holton, William James and Andrew Heavens)
