The foreign secretary has said Peter Mandelson should “never have been appointed” as Britain’s ambassador to the US, after damning messages between ministers and the disgraced peer were published.
Yvette Cooper declined to say whether Sir Keir Starmer has her full confidence, as she described the messages disclosed in the latest tranche of the Mandelson files as an “unedifying process”.
The foreign secretary, who made the comments during her visit to China, also declined to say whether she recognised Mandelson’s criticism of Sir Keir, after messages revealed he said the prime minister “lacks verve”.
Asked about the disgraced peer’s description of Sir Keir’s approach as “advance, buckle, advance, buckle”, the foreign secretary told reporters in Beijing: “What I would say is that Peter Mandelson should never have been appointed as ambassador to the United States and, look, of course there’s been a lot of transparency now about messages being released.
“That’s always an unedifying process but right to be transparent.”
Ms Cooper evaded a question on whether she could describe the prime minister as a strong and effective leader.
She replied: “I’m in China pursuing issues around international security which follows on from the prime minister’s visit here to China with President Xi earlier this year.“
Asked whether the prime minister had her full confidence following the latest disclosures over Mandelson’s appointment, the foreign secretary said: “I work with the prime minister exactly on these international issues where we’ve seen the work that he’s done across the world which is about making us stronger at home, so of course I support the work he’s doing on that.”
The government is facing humiliation after it released a second tranche of more than 1,000 pages of documents related to Mandelson’s ill-chosen appointment has US ambassador.
Sir Keir sacked Mandelson in September 2025 after growing pressure to remove him from office following leaked emails which showed the peer sent supportive messages even as Jeffrey Epstein faced jail for sex offences.
MPs voted earlier this year to force the disclosure of documents relating to his time as ambassador.
Ms Cooper added: “We mustn’t forget two things: first is that in the end this whole thing started about Epstein’s abuse of young women and girls, and sometimes the conversation gets pulled away from that, and, secondly, I think the whole government is getting on with the most important issues that affect our country and that’s exactly why I’m here in China having these important discussions about international security.”
The documents - which included thousands of previously private messages between figures at the heart of government and Mandelson - show him criticising the government and offering advice.
The release laid bare Mandelson’s damning opinion of the government, as he warned that Sir Keir’s Downing Street operation is “beleaguered and bereft”.
Mandelson himself “declined to comply” with a request to hand over his personal phone and allow the government to publish WhatsApp messages and other information related to his appointment, the documents showed.
Other messages revealed in-fighting within the Labour Party, with work and pensions minister Pat McFadden having criticised Labour MPs in messages to Mandelson.
Mr McFadden criticised the Parliamentary Labour Party, telling Lord Mandelson: “Every meeting I have is 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others'. They’re asking the wrong questions.”
Cabinet office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds sought to defend Mr McFadden On Tuesday, telling Times Radio he is a “diligent, committed minister” and his views on social security and welfare “are very well known and consistent”
