UK MPs vote to release Peter Mandelson appointment files after Starmer hands security veto to Parliament watchdog
British lawmakers have approved the release of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the United States, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer abandoned plans to let the Cabinet Secretary decide what should be withheld on national security or foreign relations grounds.
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Under pressure from Labour MPs led by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Starmer agreed that the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) of Parliament would adjudicate on any sensitive material. The move headed off a backbench revolt and cleared the way for a managed disclosure overseen by the cross-party watchdog.
However, the documents will not be released immediately. The government said it would delay publication following a request from London’s Metropolitan Police, which warned that releasing “certain documents” now could undermine its investigation into Mandelson, a former Northern Ireland secretary.
“The material will not be released today because of the conversation with the Metropolitan Police over that, but it will be released as quickly as possible, in line with the process set out,” Minister Chris Ward told the House of Commons, adding there was “a lot of material” to assess.
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle stressed the police have “no jurisdiction” over Parliament. “It will be whether the government provides or not. But just to let you know, they cannot dictate to this house,” he told MPs.
What MPs approved
The opposition Conservatives tabled the motion compelling the government to release “all papers relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment,” including Cabinet Office work and email correspondence between Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested the ISC should decide what could be published; Labour MPs also pushed for the committee to play a central role. After last-minute negotiations, Starmer tabled a change giving the ISC sight of the files and a say over any national security or diplomatic exemptions.
In a statement after the vote, a government spokesperson said: “Peter Mandelson’s actions were unforgivable. He lied to the prime minister, hid information that has since come to light and presented Jeffrey Epstein as someone he barely knew. We will comply with the motion, including publishing documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment, which will show the lies he told.”
Why the delay matters
The Met’s intervention adds uncertainty to the timeline for publication. The Cabinet Office will release material that does not raise security or foreign policy concerns, working with government lawyers, officials said. Any files judged potentially sensitive will be passed to the ISC to determine whether and how they can be disclosed without harming national security or international relations.
Speaker Hoyle’s remarks underscore a constitutional boundary: while police can advise on investigative risks, it is ultimately for ministers—and, in this case, the ISC—to decide what Parliament sees.
Background and fallout
Mandelson, a political appointee rather than a career diplomat, was dismissed from his Washington role in September over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019. The former EU trade commissioner has since resigned from the Labour Party and the House of Lords after a new tranche of Epstein-related documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice prompted fresh scrutiny.
The newly surfaced material appears to show Mandelson passing potentially market-sensitive information in 2009 while serving as business secretary. Mandelson has been approached for comment. The BBC has reported that he maintains he did not act criminally, did not benefit personally, and sought Epstein’s financial expertise in the national interest ahead of the global financial crisis.
Starmer has accused Mandelson of betraying the country over undisclosed aspects of his relationship with Epstein. The prime minister initially argued the government’s legal teams should control the redaction process, but shifted under pressure to allow the ISC—a parliamentary body with security-cleared members—to make those judgments.
What’s next
With the Commons vote passed, the government has committed to comply and publish. The first tranche is expected once officials and police agree what can safely be released without jeopardizing the Met’s ongoing work. Material subject to national security or diplomatic sensitivities will go to the ISC for determination.
The decision sets up a pivotal disclosure battle at the intersection of public transparency, criminal investigation, and national security—one likely to shape the political and legal reckoning over Mandelson’s conduct and the wider fallout from the Epstein files.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
