Concerns over Peter Mandelson’s links to senior figures in Israel, China and Russia - and his naivety about the prospect of having his past relationships exploited - were raised in a vetting document before he was appointed as ambassador to Washington, it has been reported.

Concerns over Peter Mandelson’s links to senior figures in Israel, China and Russia – and his naivety about the prospect of having his past relationships exploited – were raised in a vetting document before he was appointed as ambassador to Washington, it has been reported.

His associations with former Israeli military intelligence general Tamir Hayman, China’s minister of finance, Lan Fo’an and Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska were all mentioned in a nine-page summary of Mandelson’s vetting file in January 2025.

Also cited was a £1m loan Manelson received to invest in an Israeli startup, according to multiple anonymous sources who spoke to the Guardian.

Then foreign office permanent secretary Olly Robins was made aware of the United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) file and appointed Mandelson anyway, a decision for which he was sacked in April.

Fresh questions about the decision to appoint Mandelson are likely to emerge as the second tranche of Mandelson files is expected to be released in June. This month the intelligence and security committee (ISC) accused the government of redacting much of the material, with two MPs claiming that there was a “cover up”.

According to the Telegraph, the new papers are expected to show messages between Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, discussing Labour’s political and media strategy.

The papers will also show that Mandelson gave unsolicited advice to cabinet ministers about how to do their jobs.

A source told the newspaper: “There is a certain generation of politician who thinks they have something to offer. He does that whether people want it or not.”

The UKSV file is expected to be among the documents published next week, with redactions requested by the Metropolitan police.

The Met is investigating Mandelson for misconduct in public office after he allegedly leaked information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Hayman now works for the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an influential security thinktank in Tel Aviv, which said he had “no personal connection or familiarity whatsoever” to Mandelson.

From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.