Katie Williams
Live reporter

In a moment Westminster has been waiting for, the government published the first tranche of the Mandelson files today.

Here's what we learned from the 147-page dossier:

• The documents show Starmer was warned of the "reputational risk" of Mandelson's links with Epstein
• The files contain some further details about the terms of Mandelson's severance - including his request for a £547,000 payout. He ultimately received £75,000
• The BBC's political editor Chris Mason understands that Mandelson takes issue with the claim he requested or demanded more than £500,000 in severance pay
• The files also show that Starmer's national security adviser said Mandelson's appointment was "weirdly rushed"
• Starmer has previously accused Mandelson of lying during the vetting process. This release of documents will not end that debate, writes our political correspondent Jack Fenwick
• The BBC understands that Mandelson's view is he answered questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in the vetting process accurately

Remember, today's documents aren't everything - just the first batch.

That brings our live coverage to a close, but you can read more in our news story here and our piece detailing the day's key takeaways here.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones tells the BBC that the government hopes all of the files requested into Mandelson will be released in one more final batch.

He says the rest still have to go through checks with the Metropolitan Police and the Intelligence and Security Committee, but they are working as "quickly as we can".

When asked if he exaggerated the figure Mandelson demanded for a severance payout, Jones says "the documents speak for themselves".

One email in the files shows that Mandelson opened negotiations after he was sacked as ambassador to the US by asking the Foreign Office for a payout of £547,201.

The BBC understands that Mandelson takes issue with this claim.

Jones continues: "The government didn't want to have to give £1 to Peter Mandelson in the circumstances" but because of legal advice they chose to "reluctantly" give him a smaller figure of £75,000.

The BBC understands that Mandelson's view is he answered questions about his relationship with Epstein in the vetting process accurately. He has repeatedly let it be known that he believes he has not acted criminally, did not act for personal gain and is cooperating with the police.

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

British ambassadors are usually career diplomats, but in a departure from the norm, Lord Mandelson was a politician and businessman when he was appointed to the top diplomatic role in Washington DC.

At the time he was hired, Keir Starmer said Mandelson would bring "unrivalled experience to the role" and the peer was seen as a savvy political operator, someone who could strengthen the government's relations with Donald Trump's White House.

And according to an email in the documents, there was "no suggestion that Peter's nomination was an issue in the Trump p/c".

It could be shorthand for political circle, but we don't know for sure and we've asked the government to clarify what was meant.

Update 18:30 GMT: The government tells the BBC "p/c" meant press conference. We have asked which Trump press conference the email was referring to.

Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter

As the first batch of documents on Lord Mandelson’s appointment dropped, Sir Keir Starmer announced not one – but two – reviews aimed at preventing a similar scandal in the future.

Firstly, the prime minister said he had asked Doug Chalmers, the head of a new committee on standards in public life, to “look again at how ministers declare and publish their financial interests”.

He also asked the Ethics and Integrity Commission – as the new body set up by Labour is called – to look at ways of boosting transparency and tightening up rules on “post-employment activity” and preventing “potentially improper access” to ministers.

Secondly, Downing Street said it was reviewing the national security vetting system, “including lessons learned from Peter Mandelson’s developed vetting”.

Developed vetting is the highest level of security checks for those with access to top secret government information.

Candidates already have their criminal, financial and security records checked, as well as interviews around personal relationships, and other background checks.

No 10 wants to add in an additional, in-person “due diligence” interview.

And instead of announcing diplomatic appointments before vetting is completed, as happened with Mandelson, No 10 has also committed to completing vetting before making announcements.

It's worth noting here that the prime minister will always have the final say on the suitability of any candidate for a top job.

Peter Mandelson's employment contract is included in today's release. Here are some of the key terms:

• Fixed term: Mandelson's contract with the Foreign Office began on 3 February 2025 and was due to come to an end on 2 February 2029
• Pay: He was told he'd receive an annual salary of £157,000. Mandelson was at the upper range of his pay bracket, with his contract outlining that "the basic salary range for your grade is £152,000 (minimum) and £157,000 (maximum)"
• Hours: Mandelson was contracted to work 37 hours each week. However, the contract also says "all diplomatic service staff have an all-hours obligation to the FCDO while they work overseas"
• Annual leave: His allowance was 25 days each year, on top of "one day's privilege leave for the King's Birthday"
• Security clearance: Mandelson's contract also states he needs Developed Vetting (DV) clearance for the role. DV is the highest level of UK national security vetting and it involves financial questionnaires, security service and credit reference checks, as well as an interview with a security vetting officer

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent

If you're just joining us, the government has published an initial tranche of files relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US.

We've been trawling through the 147-page dossier since it was released just before 14:00. Here's a bit more on what we've found.

Our political correspondent Nick Eardley touched on it briefly earlier, but according to the documents, the PM's national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, raised his concerns about the appointment of Mandelson with Morgan McSweeney, the PM's former chief of staff.

He said he believed Starmer “may have had a couple of political conversations” about Mandelson’s links to Epstein.

Powell also claimed that Philip Barton, the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, also “had reservations around the appointment”.

Government had a say on what's published now, instead of laterpublished at 17:15 GMT

17:15 GMT

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent

It’s worth remembering what control No 10 have been able to maintain over which documents have been released today.

They can’t stop things they don’t like from being published – parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee will get the final say on that.

But given this is just the first tranche of documents, the government has had a say on what is published now, instead of later.

That could explain why the email about Mandelson’s severance payment has appeared in today’s files – though the government has been under pressure to tell people how much Mandelson was paid.

That was actually leaked to the press shortly before the files were made public.

The Financial Times has reported that the government believes details of that payment – and claims that Mandelson wanted more money – would be the centre of attention.

But given what else is in the files, questions about Starmer’s judgement – and whether he’s right to say Mandelson “lied” during the vetting process – are likely to make the biggest splash today.

The BBC understands that Mandelson's view is he answered questions about his relationship with Epstein in the vetting process accurately.

The documents contain a "due diligence checklist" on Mandelson's appointment, conducted on 4 December 2024 and sent to the prime minister.

In the checklist, it is highlighted that Mandelson had previously suggested using Reform UK leader Nigel Farage "to better UK connections with the Trump administration".

Mandelson said: "You can't ignore him, he's an elected member of parliament. He's a public figure. He's a bridgehead, both to President Trump and to Elon Musk and others... National interest is served in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways."

Image source, .

Now clear PM knew about Mandelson-Epstein relationship - and concerns were raisedpublished at 16:57 GMT

16:57 GMT

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Image source, House of Commons

Take a step back.

The big question is about the prime minister's judgement; should he have appointed Peter Mandelson as US ambassador given what was known about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein?

We know more about that relationship now as a result of the emails published in the United States.

But the vetting report published today by the UK government spells out that the prime minister was told the relationship continued after Epstein's initial conviction.

It says: "After Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008, their relationship continued across 2009-2011."

The prime minister will have had this warning when he chose to proceed.

The report concludes there was a "general reputational risk" over the Epstein relationship.

It also highlights other risks, including Mandelson's political past. Lord Mandelson has repeatedly let it be known that he believes he has not acted criminally, did not act for personal gain and is cooperating with the police.

We also now know that Jonathan Powell - who served as Tony Blair's chief of staff in Downing Street - thought the appointment process had been "weirdly rushed". He is said to have raised concerns with Morgan McSweeney, who was then Starmer's chief of staff - but was apparently told these has been addressed.

The government has not published the document which shows follow up questions being asked of Mandelson, at the request of the Metropolitan Police. This may shed more light on what Mandelson did and didn't reveal when probed by Number 10.

The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson's view is he answered questions about his relationship with Epstein in the vetting process accurately.

But it is clear from today's documents that concerns were raised - and the prime minister was told about the relationship continuing after Epstein's conviction.

The documents contain an email exchange after Mandelson's settlement was finalised, dated 4 February 2026.

In the email, Downing Street advisers discuss a statement they prepared to be released to the media regarding the settlement.

In one email from No 10 staffer Ailsa Terry, she writes they will use the statement that day and agrees that they should let Mandelson know.

"It would also be great to know that there has been a welfare check and to do one each day if that’s OK for a while," she adds.

Image source, .

In an email Peter Mandelson sent to Foreign Office HR after he was sacked, he expressed concern that he receive "maximum dignity and minimum media intrusion" upon leaving the US and returning to the UK.

"I remain a crown/civil servant and expect to be treated as such," he says in the email, dated 17 September 2025.

"How is the FCDO [the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] assisting in this?"

Chris Mason
Political editor

The Conservatives have criticised the government for paying a £75,000 severance payout to Lord Mandelson, something the chief secretary to the prime minister said they did as the quickest way to remove him as a member of the civil service and avoid an expensive employment tribunal.

In the Commons Darren Jones also said Mandelson initially requested "not just two or even three times, but more than six times the final amount”, and the documents suggest that Mandelson requested a severance payment of £547,201.

I understand Peter Mandelson takes issue with the claim he requested or demanded more than half a million pounds in severance pay and was quick to agree the sum he was eventually paid by the Foreign Office.

I’m told he claims he made it very clear he had no intention of taking his case to an employment tribunal – and that had any issues about him lying been raised he wouldn’t have been entitled to any payout.

Mandelson remains of the view that he did not lie to the prime minister, does not recall being asked questions about Epstein face to face during vetting interviews and answered written questions about his contact with the sex offender after his conviction truthfully and fully.

His account of this and that of Keir Starmer are at odds, but today’s deluge of documents does not verify either claim.

Mandelson has long argued that he accepted Epstein and his lawyer’s version of events, and only discovered the actual truth after his death in 2019.

Today's documents do not contain evidence that Mandelson liedpublished at 16:14 GMT

16:14 GMT

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

This release of documents will not end the debate about whether Mandelson “lied” during the vetting process, as the prime minister has repeatedly claimed.

Sir Keir Starmer said earlier this year that Mandelson “portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew” and that he sacked him as ambassador in 2025 when new information revealed the extent of the pair’s relationship.

He also told MPs on 4 February that Mandelson “lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein, before and during his tenure as ambassador” and would never have appointed him if he “knew then what I know now”.

Today’s release of documents does not include evidence that Mandelson lied – though it’s important to remember that some documents cannot currently be released because of the ongoing police investigation into Mandelson.

The BBC understands that Mandelson's view is he answered questions about his relationship with Epstein in the vetting process accurately.

These documents show Starmer was warned about the “general reputational risk” posed by Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein – and his political opponents have already used that to question the prime minister’s judgement.

The documents also show that two senior people in government – the national security adviser Jonathan Powell and the senior foreign office civil servant Philip Barton - also had questions about Mandelson’s appointment.

Powell is said to have believed the process to appoint him was “weirdly rushed”.

What’s not known is whether those concerns ever reached the prime minister directly, though the documents do say that Powell raised it with Starmer’s then-chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.

He said that McSweeney “responded that the issues had been addressed”.

Quite how and why they were addressed is another unknown.

Today's documents are just the first set to be published and the government has said there's more to come.

And within the files that have been shared, there are some redactions, for which the government's set out its approach:

• Material that could harm national security or international relations was referred to the cross-party Intelligence and Security Committee. The committee then considered requests for redaction, made by the government
• Junior officials' names and individuals' email addresses and phone numbers have also been redacted
• A "small amount" of Mandelson's personal data has been redacted
• "Legal professional privilege," which could include correspondence with lawyers or legal advice, is also withheld

An email sent on behalf of Peter Mandelson to a US staff distribution list is dated 11 September 2025, following his sacking as ambassador.

In it, Mandelson writes: "The circumstances surrounding the announcement today are ones which I deeply regret.

"I continue to feel utterly awful about my association with Epstein twenty years ago and the plight of his victims. I have no alternative to accepting the Prime Minister’s decision and will leave a position in which I have been so incredibly honoured to serve."

Mandelson has repeatedly let it be known that he believes he has not acted criminally, did not act for personal gain and is cooperating with the police.

Image source, .

Image source, Reuters

An email from the permanent under-secretary, Oliver Robbins - sent on 27 January 2025 - appears to show US President Donald Trump's administration had no issues with Mandelson's selection.

Robbins writes that following a call with Trump's then-national security adviser, Mike Waltz, there was "no suggestion that Peter’s nomination was an issue in the Trump p/c".

Before we press on with getting through the documents released by the government, here's a brief digest of its accompanying Commons statement and MPs' questions, which all wrapped up a short while ago.

What we heard from Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones:

• He said there were specific documents the government would like to make public, but it could do so yet because due to the Metropolitan Police's ongoing criminal investigation into Mandelson
• Jones also voiced the government's "disgust and horror" at the nature and extent of Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor
• He also confirmed that Mandelson had requested a severance payment more than six times larger than the final settlement amount
• He conceded that the due diligence process in appointing Mandelson "fell short"

Reaction from the Commons:

• Pressed by the Tories' Alex Burghart on why the government agreed to pay Mandelson a settlement fee, Jones said the government wouldn't have wanted to pay Mandelson £1
• Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said today was the first day of "Britain's own Epstein files"
• Criticism came from all sides. The SNP's Stephen Flynn accused the prime minister of not making the victims his first priority when appointing Mandelson

And back again to the documents released by the government on Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US.

A letter - dated 14 May 2002 - sent to then-PM Tony Blair from his private secretary at the time, Matthew Rycroft.

"Jeffrey Epstein is seeing you at 5pm today," it reads, describing the financier as "very rich" and a "friend of Bill Clinton and Peter Mandelson".

It adds: "Close to the Duke of York."

"Peter says that Epstein now travels with Clinton and Clinton wants you to meet him. He thinks you would find worthwhile a conversation with him about a) science and b) international economic and monetary trends," the letter states.

Image source, UK government

Brian Wheeler
Political reporter

We're moving away from the files quickly as we've just had a response to the release from Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader.

"It’s astonishing Mandelson received a payout even after his longstanding connections to Epstein were discovered," he says.

"These files show beyond doubt the prime minister was made well aware of the risks of his apppointment. What an insult to the women and girls who suffered at Epstein’s hands.

"The disgraced ambassador must donate any severance payment he received in full to charity.

"These are the first documents in Britain’s Epstein files. The government must now release all documents relating to Andrew’s appointment as trade envoy, secured by the Liberal Democrats, by the end of March.”

A letter in the files outlines a meeting on 11 September 2025, chaired by Keir Starmer, during which the decision was made to fire Mandelson.

The letter says Starmer referenced his concern "that the answers Mandelson provided to FCDO PUS Olly Robbins regarding the emails did not give him confidence that there were not further revelations to come".

The letter says Starmer was referring to emails from Mandelson to Epstein - shared by news outlet Bloomberg - sent after Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.

"The emails revealed a depth and extent of a relationship with Epstein which he [Starmer] had not been aware of previously when he made the decision to appoint Mandelson," the letter reads.

"On this basis, he proposed to ask Mandelson to resign". The PM agreed to withdraw Mandelson from the role.

"The prime minister was clear about his strong concern for Epstein's victims," the letter says.

Image source, .