Mandelson's Business Emails Vanish as Lobbying Firm Admits 'Significant' Gap
A substantial portion of Lord Peter Mandelson's business emails has disappeared, according to an internal investigation conducted by the lobbying firm he established. Global Counsel, which Lord Mandelson founded in 2010 but left upon his appointment as Britain's ambassador to the United States in 2024, entered liquidation last week. This development occurs amidst intensifying scrutiny over the disgraced politician's friendship and business dealings with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Internal Audit Uncovers Unexplained Black Hole
Prior to appointing administrators, the company committed to conducting an internal audit of Lord Mandelson's emails. This decision followed the UK government's announcement that it would publish tens of thousands of messages from his tenure as US ambassador in Washington. Concerned about the potential impact on its business interests, Global Counsel initiated the review as part of a due diligence process.
The audit revealed a gaping hole with "significant" numbers of emails missing, as reported by The Times. The article, which does not name its sources, states, "The company does not know how the emails came to be missing." This revelation comes after Lord Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, accused of passing sensitive information to Epstein during his time as business secretary. He has been bailed until May.
Remaining Emails Include Sensitive Communications
Global Counsel's audit of Lord Mandelson's account reportedly found that the remaining emails include interactions with senior officials and ministers in government, directly relating to his appointment as ambassador. They are said to encompass messages to David Lammy, then-foreign secretary, and Morgan McSweeney, then-Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff. The overall cache of emails, spanning almost a decade, is estimated to amount to 1.4 million messages.
According to The Times, Lord Mandelson lost access to his Global Counsel email address in February 2025 when he assumed his role as Washington ambassador. Global Counsel reportedly stated it had been prepared to provide the emails to the government or police but had not received a request to do so before the firm went into administration. The company's electronic devices and emails are now under the control of the administrators.
Government and EU Investigations Intensify
This week, the government confirmed that the prime minister will not be able to overrule Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) regarding which documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as ambassador are made public. This move follows persistent questions about the vetting process for his 2024 appointment, particularly concerning what was known about his links to Epstein at the time.
The revelation of the missing emails also comes immediately after the European Commission requested the EU's anti-fraud agency to open an inquiry into Lord Mandelson's time as trade commissioner in Brussels, following the release of the Epstein files. The Independent has contacted Global Counsel for comment, but no response has been provided yet.
