Local MP's messages with Peter Mandelson revealed

Enfield North MP Feryal Clark has since insisted she had “no personal relationship” with the disgraced former ambassador to the US

Disgraced ex-ambassador Peter Mandelson (left) and Enfield North MP Feryal Clark (right) — Disgraced ex-ambassador Peter Mandelson (left, credit UK Embassy in Washington) and Enfield North MP Feryal Clark (right, credit parliament.uk)

Enfield North MP Feryal Clark congratulated Peter Mandelson on his appointment as US ambassador and said the Labour government would “need you big time”.

A short exchange between Clark and Mandelson was among the latest tranche of messages revealed as part of the release of files that the government is required to publish.

However, Clark has since insisted she had “no personal relationship” with the disgraced politician whose downfall has threatened to also bring down the prime minister.

The latest ‘Mandelson files’ include a WhatsApp exchange on 20th December 2024, shortly after Mandelson’s ambassadorial appointment was announced.

Clark – who at this time was serving as the government’s minister for artificial intelligence – wrote: “Huge congratulations Peter, great news to wake up to today! We are going to need you big time I work in Peter Kyle’s team now as his minister for Al. Have a great Christmas & new year.”

Peter Kyle was, at the time, the secretary of state running the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology in which Clark also worked.

Mandelson replied to Clark’s message using a Union Flag emoji, a United States emoji, and “= AI”, apparently suggesting that a key to the UK-US relationship should be around artificial intelligence.

A further response from Clark appears to have been redacted, however, before Mandelson writes: “My chief Al buddy in US is Sam Altman.”

Altman is the co-founder and chief executive of OpenAI, one of the world’s biggest AI companies.

The messages between Clark and Mandelson are part of the latest tranche of the Mandelson files which are being released after the House of Commons voted to release the documents in February, aiming to reveal more about how he was appointed to the role of US ambassador.

Mandelson was sacked from the job last year by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer following revelations about the extent of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the notorious convicted sex offender and paedophile who died in 2019 while in custody.

It has also since been revealed that Mandelson had passed sensitive government information to Epstein while he was a minister within the Labour government of Gordon Brown in 2009 and 2010.

When Mandelson was appointed as US ambassador in December 2024, it was already known that he had previously been friends with Epstein, but the full extent of the relationship had not yet been revealed.

Asked for a response to her message of congratulations to Mandelson being revealed yesterday (Tuesday 2nd), Clark said: “I had no personal relationship with Peter Mandelson. However, in my previous role as AI Minister, I felt it was important to maintain a professional working relationship with someone who, as the UK’s Ambassador to the United States, had direct access to one of the world’s largest and most influential AI markets.

“Like many people, I was deeply disturbed and disgusted by the revelations that subsequently emerged concerning Mandelson. The allegations and evidence that emerged were profoundly troubling and understandably prompted strong reactions from across the political spectrum and the wider public.”

Mandelson was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, then released on bail pending further investigation. He denies wrongdoing.

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