The dismissal of Peter Mandelson has triggered a fresh debate over who holds power inside Downing Street, with a Daily Mail column reporting ministers who say former advisers to Tony Blair occupy influential roles across the government.
In a column published Friday, columnist Dan Hodges quoted ministers and officials who described Mandelson as a central, if unofficial, figure in policy areas ranging from foreign affairs to political strategy. The piece said Mandelson, who returned to public prominence last December and later served as Britain’s ambassador to the United States, exercised significant influence through his relationship with Keir Starmer’s senior aide Morgan McSweeney.
The column quoted unnamed ministers who said Mandelson was in frequent contact with McSweeney and that some Foreign Office staff referred to him as “the real Foreign Secretary.” It reported that party figures had seriously considered appointing Mandelson formally to the post before the election, but that Sue Gray, Starmer’s then chief of staff, raised concerns including security vetting.
Hodges’ article also highlighted a number of senior appointments of former Blair aides since Labour took office. It noted Jonathan Powell, another former senior Blair adviser, was appointed national security adviser, and Liz Lloyd was reported to be overseeing policy development and implementation. Pat McFadden was described as running the Cabinet Office’s political and delivery strategy; Tim Allan was said to have been appointed Downing Street director of communications; and other figures with Blair-era connections—including Peter Kyle and Wes Streeting—were reported to hold or be linked to senior ministerial roles.
Quoting a minister, the column said, “The three most important people in the Government are Morgan McSweeney, Rachel Reeves and Pat McFadden.” When asked whether that ranked them above the prime minister, the minister reportedly replied, “No.” The piece added ministers expressed concern that Starmer’s government had become overly reliant on a network of former Blair advisers.
The column placed recent political developments in that context, noting that Angela Rayner’s resignation as deputy prime minister and the ensuing deputy leadership contest had been framed by some inside Westminster as a test of Starmer’s authority. It said the Mandelson episode had exacerbated divisions between the prime minister and his senior aide McSweeney and raised questions about the vetting process that preceded Mandelson’s appointment to the ambassadorial role.
Hodges reported that Mandelson had been seen entering Downing Street on the day of Rayner’s resignation for what was described officially as a pre-arranged meeting about a state visit by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Ministers quoted in the column, however, suggested the visit was connected to internal reshuffle preparations.
The article said some ministers feared Mandelson might seek retribution after his sacking, with one official quoted as saying there was a “fear Peter has decided to take Keir down with him.” It also recounted comments suggesting Starmer’s inner circle lacked long-standing allies from his early political career and had come to rely on the experience and networks of Blair-era figures.
The column attributed several characterisations and assessments to unnamed ministers and officials and described longstanding interpersonal links between current ministers and former Blair advisers, including attendance at private events and social ties. It also said questions remained about whether the full nature of Mandelson’s past relationships had been disclosed during appointment processes.
Labour party spokespeople and Downing Street have not been quoted in the column responding to those specific allegations. The claims in the column represent the accounts of the ministers and officials cited by the author and have not been independently verified in that piece.
Analysts say scrutiny of appointment processes and the influence of former advisers is not unusual when a new government settles in, particularly when senior roles are occupied by individuals with long-established political networks. The debate over Mandelson’s role and the prominence of former Blair aides follows months of political turbulence in Westminster and comes as the Labour administration approaches its first year in office.
The Daily Mail column frames the Mandelson episode as part of a broader narrative that ministers quoted described as a government shaped significantly by people outside the formal top tier. It leaves open questions about how those dynamics will affect the administration’s cohesion and Starmer’s leadership as the deputy leadership contest and other political pressures unfold.