‘Beleaguered and bereft’: Mandelson’s private messages reveal sharp criticism of Starmer, Downing Street and Labour MPs

In one message, Lord Mandelson described Downing Street as “beleaguered and bereft” and said it needed a “complete revamp”, the BBC reported.

Concerns over leadership and authority

The messages suggest doubts within government ranks about Keir’s leadership. In a text sent in May 2025, Lord Mandelson said the prime minister “lacks verve as does the Cabinet as a whole”.

Around the same time, Labour suffered losses in local elections and a by-election. Cabinet minister Pat McFadden wrote: “Awful feeling today. What a shellacking,” according to the BBC.

In later exchanges, both men discussed the risk of a parliamentary defeat over welfare reforms. Lord Mandelson warned: “I am not sure that Keir survives that,” while McFadden said defeat or withdrawal of the bill could “destroy his authority”.

Criticism of No 10 operations

The messages also point to frustration with how Downing Street was functioning. McFadden described the situation as “not good”, adding advisers “don’t think they know what they want”.

Lord Mandelson said: “They don’t work as a team… none of them really know what Keir thinks or wants,” the BBC reported.

He added that the system was producing poor results, saying: “Rubbish in, rubbish out.”

Views on Labour MPs and policy

In another exchange, McFadden appeared to criticise Labour backbenchers, saying meetings focused on “who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others.”

Lord Mandelson also raised concerns about policymaking, saying the government did not handle policy “well enough”.

Political reaction and publication

The documents were released after MPs voted earlier this year to make them public. Some parts remain redacted for security and privacy reasons, while others have been withheld due to an ongoing police investigation into Lord Mandelson. He denies any wrongdoing.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the messages showed Labour figures speaking differently in private and public.

A spokesperson for McFadden said his focus has been on improving opportunities, especially for young people, rather than entitlement.

The BBC reported that the publication is one of the largest of its kind by the government, costing more than £1 million.

Lord Mandelson was appointed ambassador to the US in December 2024. Before that, he had sought support from ministers for other roles, including chancellor of Oxford University.

Some ministers’ messages were not fully available. Nick Thomas-Symonds said his phone had been stolen and he shared what he could recall, an ally told the BBC.

The release of the messages has renewed scrutiny of the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson and its political impact.