Wes Streeting admits deleting old social media posts praising Mandelson
In a now deleted post from 2019, Mr Streeting called Mandelson a "legend".
Wes Streeting has admitted deleting old social media posts in which he praised the now disgraced Peter Mandelson.
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The Health Secretary deleted a post shared to X, formerly Twitter, from December 2019 which shows Mr Streeting canvassing for votes with a group of people, including Mandelson.
The post read: "Getting out the @IlfordNorthCLP vote with @LabourLordsUK legend Lord Mandelson. #GE2019."
Another now deleted post from 2015, shared alongside an image, read: "Oh look! It's my mum's new mate Peter Mandelson on the telly. Mum, a big big lefty, loved him today!"
Asked about the removal of the posts by LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Mr Streeting said he deleted the posts because they "had people in it that are not me".
He added: "I've left plenty of other posts up there of mine praising Peter Mandelson because I believe in transparency, I believe in accountability."
Asked if he would pick up the phone to Mandelson today, Mr Streeting said: "No, I wouldn't take the call and I have not communicated with him since he was sacked as the US ambassador and I have no plans to do."
Hitting out at Mandelson, Mr Streeting said: "The latest tranche of files, in recent months, is evidence of a shocking betrayal of two Prime Ministers, of our country and our national interest, and also of Epstein's victims, through Peter Mandelson's continued association and friendship with him after his conviction."
His comments come as a criminal investigation has been launched into allegations Mandelson passed market-sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Files released by the US Department of Justice appear to show Mandelson passing material to Epstein while serving as business secretary in Gordon Brown’s Labour administration as it dealt with the 2008 financial crash and its aftermath.
Mandelson appeared to tell Epstein he would lobby ministers over a tax on bankers’ bonuses in 2009, and to confirm an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010.
In June 2009 he appears to have passed on what he called an “interesting note that’s gone to the PM”, an assessment by Mr Brown’s adviser Nick Butler of potential policy measures including an “asset sales plan”.
The financier was also sent an analysis of business lending in August 2009 drawn up by minister Baroness Vadera.
The sender of the message to Epstein has been redacted, but Lord Mandelson was involved in the government email thread.
‘What he did was outrageous’.
— LBC (@LBC) February 4, 2026
Health Secretary Wes Streeting says Peter Mandelson 'betrayed two prime ministers, the country, and Epstein’s victims’. pic.twitter.com/3vK8EsKOVR
The Cabinet Office had passed material to the police after an initial review of documents released as part of the so-called Epstein files found they contained “likely market-sensitive information” and official handling safeguards had been “compromised”.
Mandelson is to quit the House of Lords on Wednesday, the Lord Speaker said earlier on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told his Cabinet that the alleged transmission of highly sensitive government business to Epstein was “disgraceful” and Mandelson had “let his country down”.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “It is right that Peter Mandelson will no longer be a member of the House of Lords.”
Former prime minister Mr Brown said he had written to Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley to provide information relating to Mandelson’s “inexcusable and unpatriotic act”.
Sir Keir had also ordered officials to draft legislation to remove the former ambassador to the US’s peerage, something that has not been done since a law was passed to strip titles from nobles who sided with the Germans in the First World War.
In a Times interview conducted before the latest allegations came to light, Lord Mandelson admitted to a “lapse in judgment” over Epstein’s funding of an osteopathy course for his husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva in 2009, at the time the government was dealing with the global financial crisis.
The files contain reference to a £10,000 transfer from Epstein.
“In retrospect, it was clearly a lapse in our collective judgment for Reinaldo to accept this offer. At the time it was not a consequential decision,” he said.
Lord Mandelson rejected the suggestion this left him open to bribery claims, with Epstein lobbying him to change banker bonus rules.
The peer insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of receiving payments totalling 75,000 US dollars from Epstein between 2003 and 2004 as bank details in the files released by the US Department of Justice indicated.