Sir Keir Starmer told Peter Mandelson that he was “really looking forward” to “working side by side” with him, the night before he made the announcement that the peer would be becoming US Ambassador. According to reports, the message was buried in a slew of documents that Cabinet Office officials have been collating after MPs demanded the release of the so-called Mandelson Files.
The message said that the now-disgraced peer, once called the ‘Prince of Darkness’, would “be brilliant in challenging circumstances” with the Prime Minister reportedly adding: “After many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side. I really look forward to that.” The message was leaked this week, during a turbulent period for Sir Keir after he sacked the head of the Foreign Office, Sir Olly Robbins, and was accused of misleading the House of Commons.
