Mandelson files: 1,504 pointless pages?
6/2/202643 min
After 83 days of waiting, the government has finally released the second tranche of files on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador to Washington. The first tranche was already heavy on the filler, but the latest set of documents takes it to a whole new level. It features an incredible amount of seemingly pointless material: Mandelson’s resignation letter appears 8 times, there’s pages of printed versions of Microsoft Teams notifications and the full transcript of a President Trump interview with ABC News.
Today, we dissect the files, picking out the parts that do really tell us a lot - in particular about how Peter Mandelson himself operated behind the scenes.
Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.
This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios
Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose
Producer: Sam Durham
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHelen MacNamara· Host0:00
Hello. The rain has returned to London today, and that's a relief for us because we were already wearing our waders to get through 1,500 pages of the Mandelson files.
Cleo Watson· Host0:10
Well, Helen, we didn't want to get trench foot. It's just sensible dressing. Uh, before we get into it, we'd love it if you followed us on Instagram. We are @intheroom.pod. You can also watch us on YouTube. We're In the Room Politics. And if you've got a burning question or comment, sometimes about how shiny my face is, you can email us intheroom@independent.co.uk.
Helen MacNamara· Host0:30
So I'm Helen McNamara, the former deputy cabinet secretary.
Cleo Watson· Host0:33
And I'm Cleo Watson, a former special advisor in Number 10.
Helen MacNamara· Host0:35
And this is In the Room. [upbeat music] What we're talking about today is, yet again- You'll never guess. You'll never guess. [laughs] In line with everyone else, the latest tranche, one of our favorite words, of the Mandelson files, which were published yesterday. And we're going to be doing a lot more kind of looking down, looking up, and consulting bits of paper today, which obviously makes me super happy.
Cleo Watson· Host0:56
Yeah, I mean, it's a sign of how big this particular tranche is that Helen has not printed the whole thing off. She's- I've had to go electronic ... she's taken the coward's way out.
Helen MacNamara· Host1:03
[laughs] I've had to go electronic. It's real ... Yeah, it's terrible.
Cleo Watson· Host1:06
Well, of course, l- let's just quickly explain where we are. I mean, lots of people have seen this coming. But in February, the Conservatives pushed this humble address in Parliament, which has compelled the government to produce what is now 1,504 pages of documents about Peter Mandelson's role as US ambassador, or UK ambassador to the US, and