Nadeem Badshah (now); Andrew Sparrow and Tom Ambrose (earlier)

February 4, 2026

Starmer faces rising anger over Mandelson as MPs agree to release files to security committee – live | Politics

www.theguardian.com

MPs agree to release Mandelson papers to parliament’s intelligence committee

MPs have agreed that ministers will have to share papers relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.

Originally the government wanted to retain the power to block the publication of certain papers relating to matters “prejudicial to UK national security or international relations”.

Instead, after the government altered plans following backbench pressure from senior Labour MPs Angela Rayner and Dame Meg Hillier, the relevant documents will be referred to the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) in Parliament.

That amendment has now been nodded through by MPs.

Key events

Documents relating to Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as British ambassador will not be released today, Cabinet Office minister Chris Ward said.

He told the Commons: “I just want to confirm to the house 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 before the House.”

Ward did not confirm when the documents would be released but said it would be “as soon as possible”.

“We want to get with this,” he said.

“There is a lot of material here to go through. We will get through this as quickly as possible. Other humble, other humble addresses have taken a number of weeks or months.”

MPs agree to release Mandelson papers to parliament’s intelligence committee

MPs have agreed that ministers will have to share papers relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.

Originally the government wanted to retain the power to block the publication of certain papers relating to matters “prejudicial to UK national security or international relations”.

That amendment has now been nodded through by MPs.

Chris Ward, the cabinet office minister, defended the government’s decision to introduce an amendment that would give parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) the right to oversee documents to do with the vetting of Peter Mandelson.

Ward told MPs: “In line with the manuscript amendment, papers determined to be prejudicial to national security or international relations will be referred to the ISC.

“The ISC are independent. They are rigorous. They are highly respected. They will then decide what to do with the material that is sent to them.”

He added the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, will work “directly in hand with the ISC” and he will “write to the ISC setting out that process”.

The cabinet office minister, Chris Ward, has insisted that the prime minister “acted” when “new information came to light” about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Ward told the Commons: “It’s clear from all sides of the House today that they share the public’s anger at Mandelson’s treachery, his lies and his deceit.

“As the prime minister said earlier, Mandelson betrayed this country. He lied to the prime minister. He lied during the vetting process, which I will return to because a number of members raised it. Frankly, I suspect he’s still lying now.

“That’s why, since new information came to light, the prime minister over the weekend has acted in a number of ways.”

He also cited Keir Starmer instructing the cabinet secretary to investigate all papers released by the US Department of Justice, the government referred material to the police and since then the Met have launched an investigation.

Ward added Mandelson wouldn’t have come “within a million miles of government” if the PM knew now what he claims that he didn’t know when he appointed him in 2024.

Rowena Mason

Nigel Farage’s two-day trip to Davos cost more than £50,000 after he was given two guest passes by an Iranian-born billionaire, documents show.

The Reform UK leader officially declared his attendance at the conference on the register of MPs’ interests, after giving speeches at the Switzerland summit in which he pledged to “put the global elites on notice”.

Despite previously having dismissed the World Economic Forum as a jaunt for “globalists”, Farage also accepted £1,100 of luxury hotel accommodation from the conference organisers.

The Guardian revealed last month that Farage had his trip to Davos paid for by Sasan Ghandehari, which the Reform UK leader refused to confirm at the time. He was registered at the forum under the banner of HP Trust, which is the family office of Ghandehari and describes itself as having a portfolio value in excess of $10bn (£7.4bn).

HP Trust said Farage was an honorary and unpaid adviser since about 2018, but the Reform UK leader disputes that he has ever worked for them and declared no role for the firm on the register.

Neha Gohil

Neha Gohil is a Guardian Midlands correspondent.

Labour MP Matt Bishop told the Guardian he was still unsure whether he would be voting with the government despite the amendment in place that parliament’s intelligence and security committee will play a role in the vetting of files related to Peter Mandelson. He said:

I’m still not there yet. I think there needs to be more … I will seriously consider still voting against the government. I just need to see and understand a little bit more first.

Bishop, the MP for Forest of Dean, said he wanted to see the government acknowledging the victims of Epstein more than they have so far. He said he told Labour whips beforehand that he would walk out of the chamber if victims of Epstein were not mentioned by the government.

“I want to see what we are going to do to give victims the confidence,” he said, adding that he is pushing for the Violence Against Women strategy to be implemented as soon as possible.

The MP described how Labour colleagues who had been “extremely loyal” to the government and had never opposed the Starmer administration were now “voicing concerns”. He said: “There’s anger across the house from all angles.”

Earlier, Bishop told the House he “can not in good faith support a position that risks further eroding trust in our commitment to justice.”

“Not because it’s politically convenient to me, but because it’s morally necessary, I am voting with the victims”, he added.

Met says it has asked No 10 not to release ‘certain documents’ about Mandelson because it could ‘undermine investigation’

Andrew Sparrow

Here is the full quote from Cmdr Ella Marriott from the Metropolitan police saying the Met has asked No 10 not to release some of the Mandelson files. (See 6.14pm.)

She said:

As with any investigation, securing and preserving any potential evidence is vital. For this reason, when approached by the UK government today with their intent to publish material, we reviewed it immediately and advised that the release of specific documents could undermine our current investigation.

We therefore asked them not to release certain documents at this time. Going forward as material is made available to us, and if we identify further documents that we believe could prejudice our investigation, we will continue to ask the government to pause their release until such time as the risk of prejudice no longer exists.

The integrity of our investigation is paramount to securing justice. We are grateful for their cooperation. We continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation.

That is all from me for today. Nadeem Badshah is taking over now.

In the Commons Alicia Kearns (Con) is speaking now. She starts by quoting from the “fresh, firm and creamy” Epstein email quoted earlier. (See 3.02pm.) She said this may not have been known when Peter Mandelson was appointed ambassador. But it was known that he had stayed at Epstein’s house, after Epstein had been convicted for child sex offences, when he was business secretary. (See 1.01pm.)

This is from PA Media.

The Metropolitan police has asked the government not to release “certain documents” relating to Jeffrey Epstein because it could “undermine our current investigation”, Cmdr Ella Marriott, from the force, has said.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Your Party MP and former Labour leader, told Sky News that he wanted a public inquiry into Peter Mandelson. Explaining why he was not happy about the plan for the intelligence and security committee to review Mandelson material being held back, he said:

I don’t think the political establishment in Westminster or the senior echelons of the civil service can be trusted to undertake the kind of inquiry that’s necessary in these circumstances – because the web of Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein goes very wide.

I don’t think merely putting all this into the hands of a security intelligence committee is good enough. I don’t agree with that at all.

He also said that one issue he would like an inquiry to consider were the “strong suggestions that Mandelson was involved in negotiating favours on behalf of various businesses trying to access our health service”.

This was a reference to the contract that Palantir has to provide data services to the NHS.

Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, has also attacked the Palantir deal, claiming that Mandelson was involved. Today he published an open letter to Wes Streeting urging him to rip up the contract. And he asked for an explanation as what role Mandelson played in it. He said:

Mandelson’s malign influence runs right through the heart of this government and the decisions it has made. There are worrying questions to answer about his role in the government’s deal with Palantir – a spy-tech firm co-founded by a man who thinks the NHS should be ‘ripped up.’

Was the government’s decision to trust this controversial company with British people’s most sensitive and personal health data made on the basis of what’s best for our country – or was it yet another dodgy backroom deal brokered by Mandelson for the benefit of his rich pals?

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