'Whatsapps', suspicions and shadow power: the 'Mandelson papers' strip bare the Starmer government

LondonBlunt politics for all to see and gossip that functions as footnotes. After 117 days of review, the British government released on Monday the second installment of the Mandelson files: 1,504 pages of documents regarding Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the United States. Although there is no explosive revelation directly implicating Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a designation already controversial due to Mandelson's known ties to confessed pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the files offer an unusual snapshot of the inner workings of the Labour government.

The documents show ministers and senior officials expressing opinions very different from those they defend in public. One of the most notable cases is that of Pat McFadden, current Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, who in a private conversation in mid-last year with Mandelson lamented that meetings on social policies always ended up focusing on "who can we raise taxes on more to pay benefits to other people." A sentence that could become a source of desgaste for an already politically eroded Starmer, who has seen nearly a hundred of his MPs ask him to resign three weeks ago.

The executive admits that the final decision on Mandelson's appointment was made without official meeting minutes, a void that fuels suspicions of a lack of transparency and fuels the legend of the shadow power of the character, known as the Prince of Darkness. In any case, among the documents, a handwritten letter from the ambassador candidate addressed to David Lammy, then Foreign Secretary, stands out, in which he assures him that the government would not regret his appointment. A prophecy that has proven entirely wrong.

The papers also reveal Mandelson's criticisms of Keir Starmer. In various messages, he describes Downing Street as a space "under siege and lacking direction," assuring that many collaborators do not know what the prime minister really thinks and questioning his leadership capacity. According to the veteran politician, a former minister twice and a former European commissioner, "the government needs more dynamism, more execution capacity, and a more risk-open attitude to stimulate economic growth."

Mandelson has been a de facto power in the Labour right for three decades, until his recent and definitive fall from grace. He is currently facing a police investigation for misconduct in public office, after emails addressed to Epstein emerged revealing confidential information when he was Gordon Brown's Business Secretary (2009). The European Commission is also investigating him.

Compromising messages

Probably, however, the most significant element of the documents is the extensive use of WhatsApp to manage government affairs. The conversations show ministers, advisors, and senior officials debating sensitive issues through the app, including measures as relevant as the imposition of VAT on private schools. These communications offer a much more direct insight into the executive's internal discrepancies than official statements, which are always placid.

Until now, many politicians considered WhatsApp a relatively safe space, thanks to ephemeral messages and legal difficulties in accessing them through legal transparency mechanisms. The magnitude of the leak, however, could alter this perception and open the debate on stricter regulation of digital communications within public administration.

Paradoxically, what stands out most from the Mandelson filesAndy Burnham wins Makerfield by-election, a district near Manchester, and triggers the mechanism for the prime minister's resignation.

Political pressure on Downing Street has increased a few more degrees, then, at a time when speculation about a possible challenge to Starmer's leadership is growing. A challenge that could materialize if, on June 18th, Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election, a district near Manchester, and he initiates the prime minister's succession mechanism.