Overview
- Officials said Friday they will ask Lord Peter Mandelson to provide any relevant messages from his personal phone for the next, larger release of the Mandelson files.
- The Metropolitan Police are re-examining the October 20, 2025 theft of Morgan McSweeney’s government phone, reviewing Pimlico CCTV and seeking a formal statement after an initial location error stalled checks.
- Sir Keir Starmer said Thursday he regrets appointing Mandelson and described himself as his own harshest critic, while dismissing cover‑up claims as far‑fetched.
- An initial batch of Cabinet Office papers showed Starmer was told before approval that Mandelson’s Epstein ties posed a “general reputational risk,” a warning attributed to national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
- MPs forced mass disclosure in February and a bigger second tranche is due, with opponents pressing for answers and warning McSweeney could be called to testify if key messages cannot be recovered.