Leaked WhatsApp messages between Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones and former Labour peer Peter Mandelson have emerged, showing private commiseration from Jones on the day Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The messages, which both men had claimed were deleted, reveal Jones praising Mandelson and criticizing colleagues, raising questions about transparency and judgment within the Labour government.
A significant political scandal has erupted following the leakage of private WhatsApp messages between Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones and former Labour peer Peter Mandelson .
The messages, obtained by The Spectator magazine, contradict earlier parliamentary statements and reveal the extent of Jones's personal connection to Mandelson, who was dismissed as US ambassador last September amid renewed controversy over his longstanding friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On the very day Mandelson was sacked, September 11 of last year, Jones sent a private message of support.
Despite having been promoted to the cabinet just days earlier, Jones expressed sympathy, writing, You've been doing such a great job, and you worked wonders with Trump. I'm so sorry about today. This private exchange occurred even as Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly declared anger at Mandelson for lying about the depth of his relationship with Epstein, a notorious paedophile.
Jones had previously overseen the publication of Mandelson-related communications to Parliament, telling MPs he had exchanged messages with the architect of New Labour but no longer had access to them and therefore could not release them. The new leak demonstrates that these messages were not, in fact, inaccessible, but had been deleted using a disappearing messages function. The content of the leaked conversations extends beyond simple commiseration.
In messages following a meeting with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Mandelson noted that the government's growth plans were effectively in the hands of Reeves, then-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and then-Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds. Jones, who served as Reeves's deputy at the Treasury at the time, replied critically: It doesn't fill you with confidence.
In another thread, he criticized members of Reynolds's team during negotiations over the future of the Port Talbot steelworks, accusing some of taking positions merely because that's what the unions want. Further discussions about an expected reshuffle saw Jones signal his own ambition, stating he was targeting Reynolds's job and adding: Everyone fond of Jonny but perception that DBT (Department of Business and Trade) not firing on full cylinders.
These messages were not part of the official Mandelson files released to Parliament this week. It is understood that Jones is among several senior figures, including Starmer and Reeves, who utilized automatic deletion functions on their phones to erase exchanges with Mandelson and other contacts. This practice has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Tory frontbencher Alex Burghart told the Daily Mail: This makes a mockery of the government's transparency process.
It seems ministers have allowed messages to be deleted only for them to then appear in public. It is farcical. During a Commons session, former victims minister Alex Davies-Jones read a powerful statement from US survivor Lisa Phillips, who condemned Starmer for appointing Mandelson given his known association with Epstein, accusing the government of siding with the powerful over survivors. Jones then offered a detailed personal apology to the House.
He admitted he had benefited from his relationship with Mandelson, possibly due to Mandelson's influence and power within the Labour Party. He stated: Did I consciously ignore the stories that followed Peter Mandelson, indeed know about many of them from many, many years ago? I don't think that I did. Did I ever ignore warnings that were put to me about Peter Mandelson?
I didn't receive any to do so. But as I reflect on (Ms Davies-Jones') speech, it made me think, did I, at best, subconsciously treat Peter Mandelson differently because I believe him to have influence and power within the Labour Party, and I think the answer to that question is yes, I did. Have I benefited from that relationship and the time I've been an elected politician?
I think in part the answer to that question is yes, I did, and for that I'd like to apologise to the House, to the victims, and commit to them doing something about it. He also pledged to meet with survivors who claim to have been snubbed by the Prime Minister. The revelations pose a potentially serious threat to Jones's leadership ambitions, with pundits previously considering him a possible successor to Starmer.
The leakage exposes a contradiction between his public parliamentary statements and private sentiments, and raises profound questions about judgment, the use of private messaging for government business, and the culture of influence within the current Labour administration. The scandal also intensifies scrutiny on Starmer's own decision to appoint Mandelson, given the peer's history with Epstein, and the government's commitment to transparency and victim advocacy
Darren Jones Peter Mandelson Jeffrey Epstein Keir Starmer Labour Party US Ambassador Whatsapp Messages Leak Cabinet Minister Parliamentary Inquiry
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