Talking Politics
How embarrassing are new Mandelson files for Labour?
Published: 1 June 2026 at 20:31 Europe/London
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Episode notes
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.
