Politics

Cabinet Office to Release Additional Lord Mandelson Documents Before Christmas

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

The Cabinet Office has announced that more documents concerning Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States will be released, likely before Christmas. Earlier batches were published in March and June, but some were withheld because they were part of a Metropolitan Police investigation. Permanent secretary Cat Little said the documents could now be published without prejudicing the investigation. The Met Police had opened an inquiry after allegations that, while Mandelson was a government minister, he passed market‑sensitive information to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Little wrote to the chair of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee that the Cabinet Office is preparing the documents for submission to the House in response to a humble address motion. The documents will be reviewed and, where necessary, redacted to protect national security or international relations. The process is expected to finish before Parliament’s Christmas recess on 17 December. Lord Mandelson was arrested on 23 February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He maintains that he has not acted criminally, has not acted for personal gain, and is cooperating with the police. The Metropolitan Police stated that the investigation into alleged misconduct in public office is ongoing. Mandelson had been appointed British ambassador to the US in February 2025 but was dismissed in September after Downing Street revealed new information about his relationship with Epstein. Following his dismissal, the government, then led by Sir Keir Starmer, faced criticism for appointing Mandelson. In February MPs voted to compel the government to publish papers related to his appointment. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said the scandal remains unresolved and that Labour had withheld information until the Conservatives’ humble address forced its release.