Wes Streeting releases messages with disgraced Mandelson after promising LBC listeners on Call the Cabinet
The Health Secretary has shared his private correspondence with disgraced former Labour peer Peter Mandelson.
Wes Streeting has shared his private correspondence with disgraced former Labour peer Peter Mandelson after telling LBC listeners he would do so.
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The Health Secretary announced on Call the Cabinet with Shelagh Fogarty on February 4 that he would be willing to hand over his phone for examination regarding Mandelson's appropriateness for the US ambassador role.
He said: "It's easy to say yes in my case, there was no correspondence. If there was, people should hand (their phones) over."
Now, Mr Streeting has shared some of their messages to challenge the allegations that he and the former ambassador were close.
The exchanges, stretching back to August 2024, show Mr Streeting and Mr Mandelson spoke every few weeks, on a mixture of both political and personal topics.
In the text messages shared with Sky News, one of the topics discussed was the Israel-Gaza war.
In July 2025, just after France said it would recognise the State of Palestine, Mr Streeting told Mr Mandelson: "Morally and politically, I think we need to join France.
"Morally, because Israel is committing war crimes before our eyes.
"Their government talks the language of ethnic cleansing and I have met with our own medics out there who describe the most chilling and distressing scenes of calculated brutality against women and children.
"Politically, a Commons vote will be engineered in September on recognition and we will lose it if we’re not ahead of it.
"There are no circumstances in which people like me or Shabana [Mahmood] could abstain or vote against, for example."
Mr Mandelson replied that backing a Palestinian state could "blow" a two-state solution "out of the water" if Israel decided it would be justification for them to annex more of the West Bank.
Mr Streeting said: "This is rogue state behaviour.
"Let them pay the price as pariahs with sanctions applied to the state, not just a few ministers."
The pair also spoke about Mr Streeting's concerns ahead of the general election.
In March 2025, Mr Streeting told Mr Mandelson: "I fear we're in big trouble here - and I am toast at the next election.
"We just lost our safest ward in Redbridge (51% Muslim, Ilford S) to a Gaza independent.
"At this rate I don't think we'll hold either of the two Ilford seats.
"There isn't a clear answer to the question: why Labour?"
Shortly after the exchange, Mr Mandelson said: "The government doesn’t have an economic philosophy which is then followed through in a programme of policies."
Mr Streeting replied: "No growth strategy at all."
The revelations come as Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure over his appointment of Mr Mandelson as US ambassador, despite his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Cabinet has come out in a coordinated show of support for the embattled Prime Minister after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on him to stand down.
Downing Street said Sir Keir had a “clear five-year mandate” from voters, while senior ministers backed him, with Labour’s chief whip calling for an end to the party’s “infighting”.