Mandelson criticised Starmer’s lack of ‘verve’ and tendency to buckle under pressure

Britain’s former US ambassador Peter Mandelson exchanged WhatsApp messages with a senior cabinet minister criticising Keir Starmer’s lack of “verve” and tendency to buckle under pressure, suggesting the prime minister should behave in a more “Trumpian” fashion.

In other exchanges included in a significant release of files on Monday, he accused former prime minister Gordon Brown of trying to undermine Starmer to the advantage of the then deputy PM, Angela Rayner – and suggested former health secretary Wes Streeting was “hysterical” over Gaza and having a “mid-life crisis”.

The exchanges – many with the work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden – show extensive discussions of the party’s strategy, including Mandelson’s view that businesses were losing confidence in the UK economy. Other revelations in the new files include McFadden complaining how Labour MPs wanted to raise taxes to pay for welfare, Starmer’s chief of staff considered setting up an external No 10 unit to circumvent existing staff, and Mandelson venting his annoyance about Ed Miliband and net zero.

The WhatsApps are part of a vast tranche of data that MPs voted to release in February relating to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador including texts with ministers and senior officials. Starmer fired Mandelson after nine months when new details emerged about his friendship with Epstein, and fallout from the misjudged appointment has left the prime minister fighting for his job.

Alex Burghart, a lawmaker for the opposition Conservative Party, said that the decision to appoint Mandelson “is a failure that will define this prime minister’s premiership and be written as his political epitaph.”