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Ministers have been instructed not to release any personal communications involving Lord Mandelson following Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s publication of text messages exchanged with the former UK ambassador to the United States. The Cabinet Office reminded government officials not to disclose messages that fall under a recent parliamentary motion requiring the government to make public thousands of documents associated with Mandelson’s ambassadorial appointment. This restriction applies to messages sent within six months before his appointment and throughout his tenure.
A police investigation into allegations that Lord Mandelson passed sensitive government information to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was launched last week. Due to this ongoing inquiry, the Cabinet Office is expected to withhold the release of relevant documents for the time being. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police emphasized the importance of preserving the integrity of the investigation, stating that “due process is followed so that our criminal investigation and any potential prosecution is not compromised.”
Lord Mandelson has not publicly addressed the matter but maintains that he has committed no criminal wrongdoing and was not driven by financial motives. Meanwhile, Wes Streeting, often viewed as a potential candidate for the Labour Party leadership, explained in a Guardian article that he published the messages after facing accusations that he was hiding information. He stressed that he is not “a close friend” of Mandelson, contrary to some reports, and reflected that while he initially thought the appointment was positive, he had underestimated the implications of Mandelson’s past.
Backing the prime minister’s efforts during a challenging period, Streeting affirmed on the BBC that he offered the government his “full support.” When questioned about whether Sir Keir Starmer had threatened to remove him from office, Streeting denied such claims. Downing Street avoided clarifying if the prime minister approved the decision to publish the messages, reiterating that they are following police guidance to avoid compromising the live investigation. The government is currently assembling a large batch of files related to Mandelson’s appointment — potentially over 100,000 documents — but has yet to announce when or how this material will be released. Last year, Lord Mandelson was dismissed from his position after new details about his links to Epstein emerged, with the prime minister asserting that Mandelson had misrepresented the closeness of their relationship during the vetting process. Mandelson, however, holds that he answered all vetting questions about Epstein truthfully
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