Government officials are demanding that Lord Mandelson hand over text messages from his personal phone as the probe into his controversial, short-lived tenure as UK Ambassador to the US intensifies.
The Cabinet Office is currently preparing to release a massive trove of documents relating to the disgraced peer's appointment and his subsequent firing over ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Up until now, investigators have only been able to access data from Mandelson's official work device.
According to government insiders, the sweep for communications isn't isolated to Mandelson; all relevant figures are being instructed to submit work-related messages sent or received on their private devices.
Authorities noted that this directive is independent of the highly publicized phone theft involving Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff. However, acquiring Mandelson's personal texts could bridge critical communication gaps caused by the loss of McSweeney’s device.
Opposition politicians are eager to review the unredacted messages, hoping they will reveal the true extent of Mandelson's influence over the Labour government's inner decision-making.
Mandelson was unceremoniously dismissed from his high-profile ambassadorial role last year when his ongoing friendship with Epstein came under intense public scrutiny. Earlier this year, Conservative MPs successfully forced a parliamentary vote compelling the government to release all appointment-related documents—including digital communications—dating back to six months before he formally took the post.
McSweeney, a long-time political ally of the peer, stepped down as Starmer's chief of staff in February amid mounting pressure over his handling of the Washington appointment. The Cabinet Office recently released an initial batch of files indicating that the UK's national security adviser had directly warned McSweeney about the reputational risks associated with Mandelson. A second, much larger document release is expected in the coming weeks.
The political saga took a bizarre turn when McSweeney's work phone was snatched in October—a month after Mandelson's firing, but well before MPs formally demanded the paper trail. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch recently penned an op-ed in The Daily Telegraph calling the timing "fishy" and suggesting McSweeney might have intentionally allowed the device to be stolen to hide evidence.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed Badenoch's theory as "far-fetched." To quell the mounting conspiracy theories, the Metropolitan Police took the rare step of releasing the full transcript of McSweeney's October 20 emergency call, which detailed how a suspect on a bicycle snatched the phone straight from his hand on a London street.
Starmer has publicly accused Mandelson of lying during his ambassadorial vetting and anticipates the upcoming document dump will vindicate his claim. It was public knowledge that Mandelson maintained ties with Epstein even after the financier’s initial conviction for soliciting a minor. Newly published files show Starmer was explicitly warned about the "general reputational risk" of this relationship prior to confirming the appointment.
Meanwhile, police have instructed the Cabinet Office to withhold certain documents to protect an active criminal investigation into Mandelson for alleged misconduct in public office. Among the suppressed files is a vetting exchange featuring three direct questions McSweeney asked Mandelson. These questions reportedly focused on his post-conviction contact with Epstein, alleged stays at the financier’s home during his imprisonment, and links to a charity run by Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
While Mandelson has remained silent publicly, sources suggest he maintains his innocence, insisting he committed no crimes, sought no financial gain, and answered all vetting questions honestly.
