Mandelson files expose rotten judgement at the heart of Starmer’s Labour
Responding to the publication of the second batch of files relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as UK Ambassador to the United States, the Scottish Greens say the files expose a rotten culture at the heart of Keir Starmer’s Labour government.
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay MSP said:
“Peter Mandelson should never have been anywhere near one of the most sensitive diplomatic posts in the country. Yet time and again, we see a Westminster establishment closing ranks around powerful men, ignoring obvious warning signs, and expecting the public to simply accept i
“The Prime Minister’s judgement was not just poor. It was reckless.
“The latest documents show Mandelson privately criticising the very government that had appointed him, telling senior ministers that No. 10 was not being led properly and needed a complete revamp.
“Even now, the release is incomplete. We know that personal phone messages have not been handed over, that material has been redacted, and that key questions remain unanswered while a police investigation continues.
“That is not good enough. Transparency cannot mean publishing carefully controlled batches of documents only after Parliament forces the government’s hand.
Gillian added:
“This is not just a scandal about one man. It is about a political culture that gives endless second chances to well-connected insiders, while ordinary people are told to trust a system that keeps failing them.
“Keir Starmer promised a clean break from Tory scandals, but this has all the same arrogance, secrecy and contempt for public trust that people are sick of.
“The public deserves full transparency, not drip-fed disclosures, missing messages and excuses. Scotland deserves far better than this decaying Westminster politics.”