Mandelson and the missing messages

On Monday, I suggested that the Labour front bench would be dreading the release of further Peter Mandelson files. But instead of leaving things to chance, some ministers have followed the “missing phone” route of Morgan McSweeney fame.

On June 2nd, Keir Starmer’s office confirmed that the Prime Minister had used the “disappearing messages” function in his communications with the disgraced Epstein-associate, who he gleefully appointed as US ambassador despite the objections of UK Security Vetting.

Furthermore, we now learn that Mandelson refused a government request to hand over communications from his own phone, with an explanatory note attached to three heavy volumes stating that the government has “no further recourse to search [his] personal devices”.

Mandelson missing messages

The latest installment of the Mandelson files also disclosed that Labour’s Paymaster General, Nick Thomas-Symonds, reported his phone as stolen on October 15th, five days before Morgan McSweeney followed suit. During the “Lord Mandelson” debate in the Houses of Parliament on February 4th, it was Thomas-Symonds who was selected to move Starmer’s amendment to the motion to release the Mandelson files tabled by Starmer in February, which called for an exemption for “papers prejudicial to UK national security or international relations”. Thomas-Symonds has previously received over £35,000 worth of donations from Labour Together. A “close ally” of the ailing Starmer, he has insisted as recently as May 13th that there is “no leadership challenge” to the Prime Minister, although Messrs. Burnham and Streeting may beg to differ.

Despite his “stolen phone” account, McSweeney had stated when questioned by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on April 28th that text messages he had received from Mandelson would be included in the files. In one newly-released exchange, Mandelson confirms that he is talking to McSweeney “a lot”, but further detail of their correspondence is notably missing.

McFadden and McSweeney

Labour’s Work and Pensions Minister Pat McFadden seems to have had less trouble with holding on to his mobile phone. In one conversation with the “Prince of Darkness”, Mandelson slams Starmer for backtracking “on his immigration speech, on welfare, now on Gaza”, before adding: “This is what Morgan senses … advance / buckle / advance / buckle.”

McFadden has previously been described as “the most powerful Labour politician most have never heard of”. During the 2024 election campaign, his and McSweeney’s desks were “right in the middle of the room” at Labour HQ. His wife, Marianna McFadden, was McSweeney’s deputy campaign director.

At the time, Mandelson said that McFadden and McSweeney complemented each other, declaring that “Pat is cautious…Morgan is a hard-driven street fighter.” Heartwarming words from the Epstein-informant.

When Mandelson was passing classified government information to the notorious predator and likely Israeli intelligence asset as Business Secretary, McFadden was one of his deputies. His other deputy at the time was David Lammy, who we now know received a handwritten letter from Mandelson promising that he would “never regret” appointing him as US Ambassador.

Friends of Israel

McFadden also happens to be a former vice-chair of the Labour Friends of Israel lobby group. Another former LFI vice-chair, Peter Kyle, thanks Mandelson in another newly-released exchange for “v good advice” regarding the use of “more positive language about AI”, which he promises to “action”.

The Labour front-bench have embarked on a veritable rebranding mission in recent days, but Mandelson’s input and influence on the Starmer project is undeniable. In many ways, what the Mandelson files have not divulged is the major story. Redactions are aplenty, but it will take more than Tipp-Ex to blot out the failures of this rotten Labour administration.

Jody McIntyre is an investigative journalist whose work can be found at jodymcintyre.substack.com. He stood at the 2024 UK general election, receiving over 10,000 votes.

Featured image via Carl Court/Getty Images