
How embarrassing are new Mandelson files for Labour?
From Talking Politics by ITV News
June 1, 2026 · 25 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of newly released files regarding Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador and their potential embarrassment for the Labour Party.
A new tranche of files have been released today relating to the appointment of disgraced peer Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. But what do they include, and how embarrassing are they for Keir Starmer and his government? Tom Bradby and Robert Peston discuss what’s included in the documents - from private messages between senior Labour figures, to Mandelson telling David Lammy that the government would "never regret" his appointment as ambassador, and Pat McFadden’s criticism of the PM. Mandelson has said he regrets his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, denies criminality, and says his priority is to cooperate with the police and clear his name.
People in this episode
Host: Tom Bradby
Guest: Robert Peston
Topics covered
- Mandelson files
- Labour Party
- Keir Starmer
- political embarrassment
- government criticism
Keywords
- Mandelson
- Labour
- Keir Starmer
- politics
- government
- David Lammy
- Pat McFadden
- embarrassment
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Labour, US
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