Peter Mandelson Epstein Files
In a May 2010 email, Lord Peter Mandelson allegedly leaked advance notice of a €500 billion Eurozone bailout to Jeffrey Epstein, tipping him off hours before the official announcement. X

The Labour government has been plunged into a fresh crisis following the disclosure of private WhatsApp messages from Lord Mandelson, with senior sources warning that multiple ministerial resignations are now 'inevitable'.

The leaks, which emerged on 13 March 2026, appear to contradict Prime Minister Keir Starmer's claims that he was unaware of the full extent of Mandelson's ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein before Mandelson's short-lived appointment as UK Ambassador to the US.

With a second, more damaging batch of messages currently being vetted for release, the Prime Minister is facing a burgeoning rebellion from backbenchers and a formal ethics probe into whether Parliament was deliberately misled.

Leaked Chats Reveal 'Internal Alarm' Over Epstein Ties

The latest disclosures focus on a series of informal exchanges between former Downing Street aides Morgan McSweeney and Matthew Doyle. The messages suggest that senior figures within Starmer's inner circle were raising 'red flags' about Mandelson's historical relationship with Epstein as early as January 2025. This timeline directly challenges the Prime Minister's assertion, made during a recent visit to Belfast, that he was 'kept in the dark' by vetting officials.

In one particularly damaging exchange, aides reportedly discussed US Justice Department files which alleged Mandelson may have forwarded confidential information to Epstein—an allegation the former ambassador has consistently denied. Despite these internal warnings, the appointment proceeded, lasting only nine months before Mandelson was forced to step down. The Metropolitan Police are currently reviewing whether any criminal misconduct occurred, while withholding several key emails from public release on national security grounds.

Ministers Warned To 'Tread Carefully' Amid Legal Risks

The scandal has created a legal minefield for the Cabinet. Government lawyers have reportedly warned ministers to avoid public commentary on Mandelson to avoid jeopardising ongoing police inquiries. However, the silence from the front bench has only fuelled accusations of a cover-up.

Key figures whose messages are currently under the microscope include:

  • Angela Rayner: Scrutinised for her role in the initial vetting sign-off.
  • Morgan McSweeney: Whose disclosed messages reveal deep-seated private doubts about the appointment.
  • Matthew Doyle: Involved in strategy sessions regarding the management of Epstein-related queries from the press.

Conservative MPs have seized on the absence of the Prime Minister's handwritten comments on two key 'risk advice' documents as evidence of redaction. While Number 10 maintains that all feedback was 'delivered verbally', the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, Sir Laurie Magnus, has been asked to investigate the transparency of the vetting process.

A Government In Turmoil

The political fallout is already being felt across the Atlantic. The brief nine-month tenure of Mandelson has left the UK's relationship with the US State Department in flux, with critics arguing the appointment was a 'colossal error in judgment' that has damaged British diplomatic credibility.

For Keir Starmer, the stakes could not be higher. Having campaigned on a platform of 'cleaning up Westminster', the sight of his senior team embroiled in a WhatsApp scandal involving a twice-resigned minister and a notorious sex offender is a significant blow to his administration's authority. As the 'Campaign for Accountability' prepares to release the next tranche of messages, the question in Westminster is no longer if more ministers will fall, but when.

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