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LONDON: Britain’s government released reams of documents on Monday relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, offering a glimpse into the often acerbic world of Westminster and his messy clearance for the job.
The Mandelson saga, which forced the departure of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s closest aide, has become a focus for criticism of Britain’s prime minister, who is fighting for his political survival against a probable leadership challenge.
In a 1,504-page document, the government released messages ranging from vetting emails to personal WhatsApps in a data dump it hopes will take some of the focus off Starmer and show that Mandelson was less than frank over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In one document, the government said it had written to Mandelson on March 31 to request any information held on his personal phone as part of an investigation into his appointment and work — something he had declined to hand over.
