One main reason, according to three individuals familiar with the discussions (including one previously mentioned), is that Downing Street aims to release most of the remaining messages that MPs requested for disclosure on February 4 in one comprehensive batch, rather than piecemeal.
Retrieval efforts have been ongoing, with some of the raw messages involving Mandelson — particularly from WhatsApp groups — being extracted from people’s phones only recently, a fifth person familiar with the process said.
The delay might exacerbate the political troubles facing Starmer, with attention on Mandelson persisting longer.
The post-Easter timing suggests that private comments by Starmer’s ministers could become public just before the elections on May 7, which some MPs believe could impact his tenure as PM.
‘Reputational risk’
The release of UK government communications, following the disclosure of millions of documents related to the U.S. investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was initiated after Labour MPs supported a call by the opposition Conservative Party to disclose several thousand pages of documents concerning Mandelson and his appointment.
Mandelson was dismissed as Britain’s ambassador to Washington last September over his past association with Epstein, but further revelations from the U.S. led to a police investigation into his conduct, resulting in his arrest in February.
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