Starmer and Mandelson: Colleagues or more?

A newly uncovered text from Keir Starmer congratulating Peter Mandelson on his now-defunct ambassadorial title, indicates to onlookers just how close the men were — if anyone was still in doubt:

🚨 NEW: Keir Starmer messaged Peter Mandelson the night before he announced him as US Ambassador

“You’ll be brilliant in challenging circumstances. And after many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side. I really look forward to that”

[@ShippersUnbound]

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) April 23, 2026

Lest we forget, Mandelson maintained a friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He also resigned in disgrace from government twice. As such, any relationship with the man should be seen as unacceptable for a serious politician.

“Brilliant in challenging circumstances”

The revealed text shows that Mandelson wasn’t simply an associate of Starmer — he was a close confidant of “many years.”

Ed Balls: "Mandelson wants you to believe he's advising the party. Whether he actually is I'm not so sure"pic.twitter.com/2OOhSD5AUk

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) April 23, 2026

Tim Shipman revealed the text in the Spectator. The piece shows Starmer is far from the only bigwig accused of harbouring an unhealthy fondness for Mandelson:

Those familiar with the cache of documents being prepared fear the most embarrassing will never see the light of day, like the one in which Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the Prime Minister, sent Mandelson what is described as a ‘warm’ missive on the day he was sacked.

Here’s a video of Darren Jones defending the vetting failures of his government:

So we're being asked to believe that Starmer announced the appointment of Mandelson before the security vetting had been completed and didn't then enquire about the vetting at any point subsequently, and according to Darren Jones this means due process was followed at all times pic.twitter.com/WckCGE8rbC

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) April 17, 2026

Regarding those failures, Starmer has been trying to pass the buck on to civil servant Olly Robbins, who he sacked.

This is all going incredibly poorly, with many arguing that Starmer misled Parliament on 22 April in his attempts to blame Robbins:

Struggling to see how Starmer’s claim today at Prime Minister’s Questions that “no pressure existed whatsoever” in relation to the Mandelson vetting is compatible with Sir Olly Robbins’ evidence to Parliament. pic.twitter.com/R2wqeoHqxv

— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) April 22, 2026

Starmer has sacked others too, or forced them to resign, such as:

This is what Starmer said in the 2020 leadership election, when he wanted to appeal to left-wing Labour members (emphasis added):

I had 8,000 staff for five years as the director of public prosecutions.

I acted, I hope, in the right way with them. When they had victories, I celebrated on their behalf. I picked up awards on their behalves. When they made mistakes, I carried the can.

I never turned on my staff. You should never turn on your staff!

As the Spectator note, PM Starmer hasn’t exactly “turned” on his staff; it’s more like he’s fed them into the woodchipper:

In 22 months, the PM is now on his third chief of staff, third cabinet secretary and fifth director of communications. ‘The body count outstrips anyone since Thatcher,’ a former official notes. ‘Boris talked a lot about firing people but he was all mouth and no trousers.’ Even Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s former chief of staff, who carried the can for the appointment, told a friend recently: ‘I always knew Keir would throw me overboard in the end.’

Starmer’s boringness fooled many into thinking he’s a rational and sensible man. At this point, though, there is no degree of tedium that can obscure the chaos he’s overseen in government.

Dysfunction

The Spectator piece noted that Starmer has completely torched his government’s relationship with the civil service:

A former official says: ‘Senior leaders who have been there under several prime ministers say it is worse than it was, even under the worst of Boris. People are furious at how the Prime Minister has treated Olly.’

Another Westminster veteran says: ‘I hope this will finally kill the absurd “Keir Starmer is a decent man” narrative. He’s a shitweasel whose sole political talent is blaming others for his own failings.’

This level of government dysfunction isn’t sustainable — not when the country has problems to deal with beyond those caused by Keir Starmer.

Featured image via the Canary