The Daily T Starmer takes responsibility for Mandelson – but did he lie to Parliament?
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Mar 12, 2026 Dominic Grieve, former Attorney General and ex-Conservative MP who co-wrote the government's non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hate, joins to discuss two political flashpoints. They unpack the Mandelson files, missing paperwork and whether the Prime Minister's due process claims hold up. Then they dive into the new anti-Muslim hate definition, its language choices and risks for free speech and schools.
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Empty Decision Box Raises Transparency Question
- The Mandelson files show an empty decision box where the Prime Minister's response should be recorded, raising transparency concerns about how instructions were given.
- Tim Stanley and Camilla Tominey highlight officials claiming other means of instruction (phone/WhatsApp) but no written record appears in the dossier.
Advisor Who Advocated For Candidate Led Vetting
- Morgan McSweeney, who strongly advocated for Mandelson, handled the PM's questions to Mandelson, creating a conflict because McSweeney was both adviser and protege.
- Hosts compare this to asking Robin to interrogate Batman, underlining poor choice of an 'objective' investigator.
Payoff Sparks Ministerial Code And Value Concerns
- The £75,000 payoff to Peter Mandelson prompted questions about ministerial code breaches and value for money under Managing Public Money rules.
- Officials feared Mandelson going public, suggesting reputational motives influenced the severance decision.