Why Cabinet Office may not release key Mandelson vetting document

WorldPolitics
31 May 2026 • 11:21 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Why Cabinet Office may not release key Mandelson vetting document

  • The Cabinet Office will reportedly not release a key document regarding Peter Mandelson's vetting, following a warning from the Metropolitan Police that it could jeopardise an ongoing investigation.
  • The document, compiled before Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US, raised concerns about his links to figures in China, Russia, and Israel.
  • Mandelson was sacked last September after it was revealed he maintained a friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein following Epstein's conviction.
  • The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation into alleged misconduct in public office earlier this year, after Mandelson was accused of sharing sensitive information with Epstein in 2009.
  • Parliament's intelligence watchdog, the ISC, had previously accused the government of withholding documents and criticised the broad application of redactions to material requested by MPs via a humble address.

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