Starmer trusted too much on Mandelson appointment but he has job to do, says Emily Thornberry as files released
Dame Emily claimed the former peer was given the US ambassador role due to having multiple friendships in Downing Street
Labour's Dame Emily Thornberry has admitted the Prime Minister made a mistake in appointing Peter Mandelson by "trusting too much" but insisted he was "pretty dogged" and will get on with the job at hand.
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The chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee told LBC that the criticism of Sir Keir Starmer was legitimate but suggested Mandelson was appointed as the UK’s ambassador to the US because he had a lot of "good friends" in Downing Street.
It emerged earlier today that Mandelson said Sir Keir "lacks verve" and said that the government needed more "panache" following the newly-released tranche of documents.
Dame Emily told Tonight with Andrew Marr: "It's quite clear from the papers it wasn't because he was good friends with Keir Starmer.
"He's quite rude about him and there's very little kind of direct conversation between the two of them."
The Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury said when questions were raised over Mandelson's appointment, despite controversies including his connections to Russia and China, the answer was that "mitigations" were put in place.
Dame Emily continued: "I think it's a big job being Prime Minister.
"I think the legitimate criticism of the Prime Minister is that he trusted others, he gave them authority to essentially look into these things, and he didn't spend enough time watching them.
"He trusted them too much and that was a mistake, and Morgan McSweeney resigned as a result."
She added: "If you are the Prime Minister and you have a million and one things to do, someone comes up to you and says 'it's all right Keir I'll deal with this, don't you worry about it we'll get you somebody good to go to America.'
"That's what happened and Peter Mandelson was the person who got the job because there were a lot of people in Number 10 who were good friends with him, as I say, particularly the head of staff.
"I think if you look at all of the ways which there were reasons not to appoint Peter Mandelson, all these hurdles, and yet and he was not number one choice, he was not close to Keir Starmer.
"I think from what I know of Keir, he's pretty dogged. If he's got a job to do, he will do it and he will do it to the best of his ability."
Mandelson's criticism of the PM was laid bare as hundreds of files related to his appointment were released by the government on Monday.
In one exchange between him and Pat McFadden, the then-Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Mandelson wrote that the whole of Number 10 needed a revamp as those at the top lacked the energy needed to lead the country.
He said Sir Keir "lacks verve" and went on to say the government needs "panache".
In another exchange, he said of Downing Street: "It is beleaguered and bereft. It requires complete revamp and infusion of purpose and confidence to get anywhere."
It came after Labour suffered poor results in local elections last May.
Mandelson wrote: "It stems from the top and Keir lacks verve as does the Cabinet as a whole. People’s heads are broadly in the right place but you need more people who can execute.
"I have a feeling that Keir is now consistently going for direction B. His recanting on his immigration speech, on welfare, now Gaza. There is definitely a 'let Keir be Keir' trend."
In one of the messages, he also said the Government would "never regret" appointing him as ambassador to the US in a written note to David Lammy.
Mandelson was sacked in September 2025, just nine months into the job, when more details emerged about his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Subsequent revelations in the Epstein Files led to a Metropolitan Police investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.