No 10 braced for ‘excruciating’ revelations as messages between Mandelson and ministers to be released – UK politics live

From 3h agoNo 10 braced for 'excruciating' revelations as private messages between Mandelson and ministers to be released

Good morning. Many people despair at the quality of governance in Britain at the moment, but in one respect we are living through a golden age; if you are interested in contemporary history, and learning about what actually happens at the heart of government, then you can now – sometimes – access the sort of information never available before.

Today the government is publishing a mass of information – apparently running to three volumes, and more than 1,000 pages – containing the private messages Peter Mandelson exchanged with government ministers and officials when he was ambassador to the US, and before his appointment. Last month a minister compared this to the evidence released as part of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war. But the Chilcot inquiry took place in the era before WhatsApp, and it was publishing secret memos – intended for circulation within Whitehall. WhatsApp messages are a lot more personal; reading them is like being able to eavesdrop on a private conversation. Mandelson is a man with spiky, controversial views, who loves gossip and plotting, and whose private views don’t always accord with what he has said in public. It should be fascinating.

These documents are being published because the government has to comply with a humble address – a Commons vote mandating ministers to release information – tabled by the Conservative party. Several humble addresses have been passed in recent years (since this ancient parliamentary mechanism, which had been forgotten about for decades, was revived during the Brexit wars by the Labour Brexit spokesperson, a certain Keir Starmer) but none of them have been as far-reaching as this one.

The Conservatives tabled the humble address because they wanted to learn more about how Mandelson came to be appointed ambassador to the US despite the fact that it was known at the time that he had maintained a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein even after he was first convicted for child sex offences. As Kiran Stacey, Henry Dyer and Pippa Crerar report, the documents out today will imply that the Foreign Office did not seem particulary bothered about ensuring that the supposed “mitigations” in place to manage the risks associated with Mandelson being appointed amounted to very much.

But, on the broader question of why Mandelson was appointed, we are unlikely to learn much because it is already obvious why he got the job: he wanted it, he was close to Morgan McSweeney, the PM’s chief of staff who had more influence over what Starmer did than anyone else, and McSweeney and Starmer were both persuaded that Mandelson’s fondness for dodgy billionaires would enable him to form a good relationship with Donald Trump (even though this argument was inherently flawed, because the Trump administration did not want him).

Instead, the main revelations this afternoon are likely to focus on what members of the government have been saying about each other in private. On the Today programme Chris Mason, the BBC’s political editor, said some of the messages would be “excruciating”. Financial Times says: “The messages are expected to include frontbenchers and Mandelson trading humiliating remarks about Starmer.” Politico’s London Playbook says: “One person familiar with the content of the files told Playbook it will be ‘toe-curling’.”

Government sources have been saying they don’t expect any of the revelations to lead to resignations. That’s not much of a bonus; for the Conservative party, today will probably feel like Christmas has come early.

Ironically, one person not likely to be embarrassed about any of this is Trump. Government ministers are always diplomatic and polite about the US president in public. It is fair to assume that, in private, their views are a bit more aligned with the views of normal people, like you and me. But parliament agreed that material deemed “prejudicial to UK national security or international relations” would be withheld, so any juicy anti-Trump stuff will remain secret.

James Murray, the new health secretary, has been giving interviews this morning. Speaking about the release of the Mandelson files, he told Sky News:

double quotation mark

I think the level of transparency is going to be unprecedented. The volume of information that’s going to be put out is unprecedented.

It’s right we do that. We have been very clear that the appointment of Mandelson was wrong.

Parliament then decided that this information will be made public. The government is fully complying with that, and it’s important that we honour that commitment to transparency.

Here is the agenda for the day.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

2.30pm: John Healey, the defence secretary, takes questions in the Commons.

Afternoon: The government is publishing the rest of the Mandelson files. Darren Jones, the chief seceretary to the PM, will make a statement to MPs to mark their publication after 3.30pm. The documents should be published when he gives his statement at the latest, but may come a bit earlier.

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PM’s spokesperson said the release of the Mandelson files today would be “an unprecedented piece of government transparency”.","elementId":"907426da-6512-4698-8796-11f250a50dc6"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

He said that party political material would be included, despite precedent suggesting it should be included, and that some material had to be declassified to allow it to be published.","elementId":"8d57a874-0210-4a67-85df-02d0b41ac72f"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

The material will be published this afternoon, ahead of a statement to MPs at some point after 3.30pm.","elementId":"51fa55fb-c85c-456a-b477-fee0e96536ba"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

The spokesperson said:","elementId":"9a339fad-6ac4-47a4-9af8-79ab3239be77"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"\n

The broad scope of the [humble address motion – see 9.26am] has required the discovery, assessment, analysis and preparation of thousands of individual documents and messages.\n

This is a task that has involved every government department.\n

The result is the largest ever government response to a humble address.\n

It represents represents thousands of hours of work from officials across the government to deliver an unprecedented piece of government transparency.\n

Our guiding principle throughout has been to comply as transparently and as swiftly as possible.\n

For example, material of a party political nature will be included in the publication, which is contrary to usual practice and precedent, in order to demonstrate the maximum possible transparency.\n

A number of documents have also been declassified to enable publication.\n

In order to provide transparency to parliament and the public, alongside the documents we will also provide a clear explanation of the steps taken in this official-led process to gather the documents and the approach to any redactions.\n

And following the publication of the documents, the chief secretary to the prime minister [Darren Jones] will make a statement to the house.\n","elementId":"9dc71e08-36eb-4c44-a422-2731855c793b"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1780311336000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"12.55 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1780311818000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"13.03 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1780311818000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"13.03 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"13.03","title":"No 10 says release of Mandelson files will be 'unprecedented piece of government transparency'","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Mon 1 Jun 2026 13.03 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Mon 1 Jun 2026 09.40 CEST"},{"id":"6a1d5e368f08cf8299b18e95","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

James Murray, who recently replaced Wes Streeting as health secretary after Streeting resigned so he could start campaigning to be the next Labour leader, has said he is “absolutely clear” that single-sex spaces within the NHS should be “protected on the basis of sex”.","elementId":"d5ab0f10-c0fc-4734-aade-de06bd6f64e1"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

He made the comment in an interview on the Today programme where he also said he would no longer use the phrase “trans women are women”.","elementId":"4a56c6d8-0aa5-4b9e-aaf4-1bedf4201e0d"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Murry said he had thought “in quite some detail” about use of language when it was put to him that he had in the past stated that “trans women are women”. Asked if he had changed his mind, he replied:","elementId":"891d8d07-5655-44aa-b037-4c0a509a1276"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"\n

Yeah, I have changed what I would say. I wouldn’t say that phrase any more.\n

And I think that, you know, over the last few years, I think a lot of us, myself included, have thought about this question in quite some detail.\n

The supreme court has obviously ruled very clearly that biological sex is what matters when it comes to the Equality Act, and determining the importance of single-sex spaces …\n

I believe that single-sex spaces should be protected on the basis of sex, on the basis of biological sex, whilst at the same time believing in dignity for trans people, recognising that sex and gender are different things, but being absolutely clear that single-sex spaces within the NHS, for instance, need to be protected on the basis of sex.\n","elementId":"32ce360d-8f10-44f3-8f0c-08b5f07aa225"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

In a seperate interview, Murray told Sky News he has the neurological condition myasthenia gravis – a rare, long-term condition that causes muscle weakness. It most commonly affects the muscles that control the eyes and eyelids, facial expressions, chewing, swallowing and speaking, according to the NHS website.","elementId":"e041098d-8ba1-4060-85c5-07569ec2404b"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1780309558000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"12.25 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1780309885000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"12.31 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1780309885000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"12.31 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"12.31","title":"New health secretary James Murray says he would no longer say trans women are women","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Mon 1 Jun 2026 13.03 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Mon 1 Jun 2026 09.40 CEST"},{"id":"6a1d59cc8f0897699fdbc19b","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, has criticised the government’s decision to ban two US commentators from entering the UK. They are both strongly anti-Israel, and the Home Office has said their presence “may not be conducive to the public good”.","elementId":"d5726546-730c-42c5-b95c-ad399f8e2e51"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

In a post on Bluesky, he said:","elementId":"696c6250-1250-420d-8ba0-dd79023ccceb"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"\n

This is a really grim decision alongside Cenk.\n

People often talk about dangerous road we’d go down under a Reform government - this is another clear warning we’re down there already.\n

A Labour government doing everything possible to silence criticism of the Israeli Government\n","elementId":"3cb99dd8-4dd2-414d-8d22-0067b8f1701a"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Referring to a newspaper claim claiming Andy Burnham could make Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, his chancellor if he become PM, Polanksi also said:","elementId":"37eb7194-48ad-47d4-9cf4-f8aeddd38f27"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement","html":"\n

Shabana Mahmood, we’re told will get a senior position in an Andy Burnham government.\n

She needs to explain this strange and worrying decision, and Andy Burnham needs to make his view clear.\n","elementId":"184dd136-0a6b-4259-8d87-35716b5369cf"}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1780308428000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"12.07 CEST","blockLastUpdated":1780310466000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"12.41 CEST","blockFirstPublished":1780309070000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"12.17 CEST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"12.17","title":"Polanski condemns decision to ban two US commentators from UK, accusing Home Office of silencing criticism of Israel","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Mon 1 Jun 2026 13.03 CEST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Mon 1 Jun 2026 09.40 CEST"},{"id":"6a1d4f358f0897699fdbc11b","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

The Times has published polling today from JL Partners saying that trade union members are as likely to support Reform UK as Labour.","elementId":"37d82425-c613-43aa-a8a3-9b3b772b4d47"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

Around 1,000 trade union members were polled, and Reform UK and Labour both attracted 28% support. In 2024 Labour was on 24% with union members.","elementId":"fba1a043-8195-48c5-b1ee-be5c6db8bcca"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"

According to the poll, Reform UK is also comfortably ahead amongst Unite members (on 36%, against 30% for Labour) and amongst GMB members (on 31%, against 22% for Labour). But Unison members are slightly more pro-Labour (28%) than pro-Reform UK (25%), the poll suggests.","elementId":"4878f1b7-adc5-41e2-85dd-d1e9ba9