Newly released documents reveal that Peter Mandelson, as president of his advisory firm Global Counsel, lobbied hard for ministers to attend his events and meet his staff in the months after Labour's general election win. Emails and WhatsApp exchanges show how active the Labour peer was after the election, leveraging his government contacts for the potential benefit of both his company and his campaign to become chancellor of Oxford University.
Mandelson's Early Outreach
Just days after the 2024 general election, Mandelson sent a WhatsApp message to Spencer Livermore, the financial secretary to the Treasury, asking for lunch. Lord Livermore, a former director of political strategy under Gordon Brown, accepted. Mandelson suggested the meeting be held away from the Treasury, and the exchange indicates a Global Counsel employee was also to be invited.
Contact with Science Minister
A few days later, Mandelson emailed Patrick Vallance, the new science minister, after apparently seeing him the previous evening. In an email from his Global Counsel address titled "Economic change," Mandelson provided reflections on his own time as a minister. Two months later, he invited Vallance to a panel event on research and innovation in Oxford, which Mandelson said was not a campaign event but an attempt to stimulate interest. Vallance suggested postponing until after the chancellor election to avoid perception issues.
Trade Minister Engagement
On 22 July, Mandelson emailed new trade minister Douglas Alexander, introducing a Global Counsel employee after a prior meeting. Mandelson wrote, "As Douglas is now going to try and push trade policy up hill on behalf of our great nation, I really think you two should meet and talk asap." Alexander responded positively, and a WhatsApp exchange confirmed the meeting took place. Alexander called it "the single most enlightening conversation I've had in the last month on trade." Mandelson replied, "Happy to help further." In October 2024, Mandelson also emailed Alexander a lecture on a "High investment economy."
Industry Minister Invitation
In September 2024, Mandelson emailed industry minister Sarah Jones from his Global Counsel account, asking her to attend a roundtable on the government's clean energy mission. He wrote, "I am keen to bring together a group of interesting and, hopefully, lively people to discuss this opportunity and challenge." The minister did not immediately respond, and a Global Counsel senior associate sent four follow-up emails, stating "Lord Mandelson has asked me to follow up."
Context and Ethics
The files are part of a vast tranche of data MPs voted to release in February, relating to Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador. Members of the House of Lords can have financial interests in lobbying organizations but are prohibited from offering parliamentary advice or services to clients. Global Counsel, founded by Mandelson and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser in 2010, has clients including TikTok, Palantir, Shell, and Anglo American. Mandelson resigned as director in May 2024 but remained president until January 2025, when he took up his brief role as UK ambassador in Washington. The company went into administration in February after disclosures about Mandelson's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
