Keir Starmer is battling for his political life as the Peter Mandelson scandal rocks the Government and cabinet ministers have rallied to Mr Starmer’s defence as Wes Streeting published private messages with Lord Mandelson
19:34, 09 Feb 2026Updated 19:49, 09 Feb 2026
Keir Starmer is battling for his political life as the Peter Mandelson scandal rocks the Government.
Cabinet ministers rallied to Mr Starmer’s defence as Scottish leader Anas Sarwar called for him to quit as PM. Ex-Deputy PM Angela Rayner – seen as a possible future leader – also offered her full support the under-fire PM, who is battling to convince his MPs to stick with him just hours after Mr Sarwar became the most senior figure to call on Mr Starmer to stand.
And In a bombshell move, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has now published private messages with Lord Mandelson as he hit back at smears over their relationship.
The Health Secretary made the move in a bid to see off attacks over his friendship with the Labour grandee. Mr Streeting told Sky News, who first obtained the messages, that he had “nothing to hide”.
Private messages show him admitting he fears he is “toast at the next election,” that he thinks the government has “no growth strategy at all,” and that israel>israel>Israel is “committing war crimes before our eyes”.
Mr Streeting hit out at “smear and innuendo” over his relationship with Peter Mandelson as he publishes some of their messages.
He said in an article for the Guardian that the pair were not close friends but added: “I am not going to wash my hands of my actual association with him either”.
He said: “We saw each other for dinner on average once a year with others. He offered advice. My partner worked for him 25 years ago and I therefore got to know Mandelson better than some of that generation in politics.”
While he said he had no influence on the decision to send Mandeslson to Washington, he said: “I filtered the news of it entirely through the lens of whether it seemed a sensible way to help our relationship with a critical ally at a crucial moment.”
He added: “We need to be honest about the fact that if women like Jess Phillips had been in that room when the decision was taken, Peter Mandelson would never have been sent to Washington.”
Here is a transcript of some of the messages shared with the Mirror:
[30/08/2024, 22:22:35] Wes Streeting: Great pitch and lovely photos in the Times[30/08/2024, 22:23:09] Peter M: X[31/08/2024, 12:19:24] Peter M: [Shares link][31/08/2024, 12:19:30] Peter M: Different headline[31/08/2024, 12:20:57] Wes Streeting: Better reflection of what you said
[31/08/2024, 12:21:47] Peter M: Yup[31/08/2024, 12:54:46] Peter M: [Shares link][01/09/2024, 21:33:47] Peter M: Would you consider speaking at the Oxford Union again in their no confidence in the government debate on October 17 (for Labour supporting President) ?[01/09/2024, 21:34:24] Wes Streeting: Same day as my CLP AGM I’m afraid[01/09/2024, 21:34:55] Peter M: That is the priority…..[01/09/2024, 21:35:03] Wes Streeting: Yep![24/09/2024, 08:07:37] Peter M: Lord Mandelson: Judge Labour by results, not row on donations[08/10/2024, 14:53:58] Peter M: Videos starting to publish, whole thing will be on YouTube later[02/12/2024, 13:39:31] Peter M: Hi. Can you share Chris W contact as I want to congratulate him[02/12/2024, 13:39:52] Wes Streeting: [02/12/2024, 13:39:58] Peter M: Ta[19/12/2024, 10:48:07] Peter M: Recovering nicely at home now after urgent non emergency surgery on swelling aneurysm in lower aorta. Two week recovery follows in Wiltshire, happy holidays to everyone x [19/12/2024, 10:48:25] Wes Streeting: Are you ok? X[19/12/2024, 10:49:57] Peter M: Yes just tired and motionless in bed[20/12/2024, 18:29:47] Wes Streeting: Congratulations Ambassador![27/12/2024, 15:37:27] Peter M: There is no touch of John Moore about you[27/12/2024, 15:54:47] Wes Streeting: I had to google him![27/12/2024, 16:01:55] Wes Streeting: Not too bothered by it. It only confirms what I already know: delivery is the only thing that really matters and how I will now be judged.[27/12/2024, 16:02:47] Peter M: Before Patrick’s time too
[27/12/2024, 16:12:01] Wes Streeting: Indeed. Trying to work out which veteran has the wooden spoon out…[27/12/2024, 16:23:40] Peter M: Could be anyone including the doorman[30/12/2024, 17:51:02] Wes Streeting: A Note on MAGA Insights.pdf • 2 pages [30/12/2024, 17:51:02] Wes Streeting: Interesting readout on the US via Jim Murphy if you haven’t already seen it.[02/03/2025, 12:15:25] Wes Streeting: Am free all day, so call whenever you like[02/03/2025, 12:16:35] Peter M: Great. Doing a morning show here and will call after[28/03/2025, 10:52:10] Wes Streeting: You should get Doyle to do your comms in DC![28/03/2025, 11:32:46] Peter M: All my comms have been shut down by No10. Why was he pushed out ?[28/03/2025, 11:32:53] Wes Streeting: God knows[28/03/2025, 11:33:17] Peter M: The government problems do not stem from comms[28/03/2025, 11:33:38] Wes Streeting: Quite.[28/03/2025, 11:36:06] Wes Streeting: I fear we’re in big trouble here – and I am toast at the next election. We just lost our safest ward in Redbridge (51% Muslim, Ilford S) to a Gaza independent. At this rate I don’t think we’ll hold either of the two Ilford seats.[28/03/2025, 11:39:54] Wes Streeting: There isn’t a clear answer to the question: why Labour?[28/03/2025, 11:48:44] Peter M: The government doesn’t have an economic philosophy which is then followed through in a programme of policies.[28/03/2025, 11:49:15] Wes Streeting: No growth strategy at all[16/06/2025, 10:55:11] Wes Streeting: Morning! Are you free for a call anytime between 1400-1600 U.K. time as I’ve got a call with Secretary Kennedy today and I thought it worth a chat beforehand. This has just been sprung on me by my PO with a poor quality departmental briefing.[16/06/2025, 11:27:49] Peter M: I am in Barrow on nuclear subs visit and I am not sure if I will have phones. Let me work out.[16/06/2025, 13:24:12] Peter M: James Roscoe will contact you[29/06/2025, 09:33:59] Peter M: Well done on bbc>bbc>BBC, very good x[29/06/2025, 19:58:27] Peter M: Are you planning visit to US this year ?[29/06/2025, 20:01:57] Wes Streeting: Hope so! X[29/06/2025, 20:02:33] Peter M: Need to plan. Lots of tech companies and people to talk to.[24/07/2025, 23:00:29] Wes Streeting: Am sure this will come up in coming days, so wanted to check in with you on recognition of Palestine and the domestic politics of it.Keir’s statement today was excellent, but Macron’s statement tonight ups the ante.Morally and politically, I think we need to join France.Morally, because Israel is committing war crimes before our eyes. Their government talks the language of ethnic cleansing and I have met with our own medics out there who describe the most chilling and distressing scenes of calculated brutality against women and children.Politically, a Commons vote will be engineered in September on recognition and we will lose it if we’re not ahead of it. There are no circumstances in which people like me or Shabana could abstain or vote against, for example. Conference will be a sea of Palestinian flags and the moderates will be waving them.We need to be leading the charge on this. The alternative is being dragged there with enormous damage to Keir, the govt and the party.I’ve never been a shrinking violent on Israel. I’ve supported LFI for over 20 years. Our sister party, Haaretz, and progressives are clear about what’s being done in their name and they oppose it.I appreciate these things are always more complicated than they appear to those of us who aren’t up close as you are and I also appreciate how much Keir and David are giving to this personally.But it is what it is. We need to lead, not follow.[24/07/2025, 23:11:47] Peter M: I can see all this but I am worried that such a gesture now could blow a 2 SS out of the water if Israel decided that unilateral recognition justified further WB annexation which the US would be powerless to stop or reverse. That would be the end of it. So I think we need to employ practical means to get a 2SS, not quickly I grant but realistically. The PA with reform and new leadership can advance this with Arab/US/European support. The alternative is a further deadlocked death spiral on an even greater scale than now.[24/07/2025, 23:12:10] Wes Streeting: Israel is doing it anyway[24/07/2025, 23:12:39] Wes Streeting: This is rogue state behaviour. Let them pay the price as pariahs with sanctions applied to the state, not just a few ministers.[24/07/2025, 23:24:19] Peter M: Well, I don’t make government policy I only help implement it so my views are between us.[24/07/2025, 23:39:58] Wes Streeting: Absolutely. Not shooting the messenger. It’s v helpful in trying to understand what Keir is weighing up as he balances all the risks and considerations that aren’t necessarily obvious to the rest of us – so thank you![26/07/2025, 13:06:26] Peter M: How are you feeling now ?[26/07/2025, 13:32:44] Wes Streeting: Extremely concerned. Keir’s statement has been received as boxing/>boxing/>boxing himself in. We are headed straight into:– summer of angst– SO24 debate and engineered vote on recognition in September– if whipped, resignations at every level– conference dominated by thisThe discontent isn’t just from the left of the PLP. It is from moderates.Will be on a bigger scale than welfare and could prove fatal. [26/07/2025, 13:55:32] Peter M: If those events unfolded it would certainly convince the public that we are unfit for government.What does the PLP think would follow from announcing recognition?[26/07/2025, 13:56:06] Wes Streeting: Nothing in practice, but the symbolism matters against the backdrop of what we’re seeeing.[26/07/2025, 14:16:02] Peter M: Got it[03/09/2025, 22:52:09] Wes Streeting: I’d really like to meet Pete Buttigieg when he’s in London for Global Progress. Do you think you could put us in touch?[03/09/2025, 22:56:02] Peter M: I am sure. I will get office to reach him.[11/09/2025, 18:26:13] Peter M: LETTER TO BRITISH EMBASSY WASHINGTON STAFF FROM LORD MANDELSON11 September 2025Dear All,As you will be have seen, my position as Ambassador to the United States has come to an end.Being Ambassador here has been the privilege of my life, and Reinaldo’s. I could not have wished for a better welcome by you all, a betterintroduction to the job or better support while here. Your professionalism has been superb, more so than I have experienced in any public role. For this I thank you from the bottom of my heart.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.The relationship between Britain and the United States of America is a unique one. I know that you will continue to serve and deepen that relationship from DC right across our brilliant network.I wish to thank you for all of your efforts in serving me as your Ambassador. In a short time we have achieved so much. We leave the relationship with the US in a really good condition, with a magnificent State Visit and the new US-UK Technology Partnership – my personal pride and joy that will help write the next chapter of the special relationship – set for next week.Thank you from me, Reinaldo and Jock. I will treasure the experience and memory of having worked with you all.Very bestPeterLord Mandelson[30/10/2025, 18:21:33] Peter M: Shared with you by a Times subscriber.Enjoy this article for free.Who is Rob Jetten? The liberal vying to be the youngest Dutch PMhttps://www.thetimes.com/article/30447959-e222-4ae6-b609-b512c10cba06?shareToken=37b0b2813a20c3aa18859156e2ae7f0eText messages[23/02/2025, 21:15] Wes Streeting: I spoke to Roger who suggested you are very much enjoying your new DC life! [US flag emoji]Peter Mandleson: I am! It suits me….By way we have a big problem coming down rack re pharma tariffs. Trump thinks US pharma not being treated well, wants to out tariffs on EU and UK and force manufacturing to US.Wes Streeting: Urgh.Wes Streeting: Yet RFK hates pharma.
