Peter Mandelson launched a brutal attack on Keir Starmer’s No.10 operation in private messages with a senior cabinet minister.

The former US ambassador told Pat McFadden that Downing Street was “beleaguered and bereft” under the PM’s leadership.

He also said the government lacked “verve” and needed to act “in a more Trumpian risk-taking and dare-devil way” to turn around Labour’s fortunes.

The disgraced ex-Labour peer’s stinging criticisms were revealed in nearly 1,500 pages of documents released by the government into his appointment as the UK’s ambassador to Washington at the end of 2024.

In one message to McFadden, who was Cabinet Office minister at the time and one of the PM’s closest allies, on July 30 last year, Mandelson said: “I went in to No.10 after I saw you. It is beleaguered and bereft.

“It requires complete revamp and infusion of purpose and confidence to get anywhere.”

That came two months after Mandelson had also condemned the government’s performance in the wake of the local elections in May last year.

He said: “The problem is the government doesn’t give a sense of crusading to turn round and change Britain. That’s what I mean by panache, verve.

“It does start right from the top, I am afraid, but you must all contribute more to it by breaking out of the Whitehall system and mould and appearing less like business as usual conventional ministers and, dare I say it, behaving in a more Trumpian risk-taking and dare-devil way.

“At the moment ministers seem to be looking more to the Whitehall machine and the party base than to the public who are crying out for leadership.”

Later the same month, McFadden expressed his frustration with Labour MPs preparing to rebel against the government’s plans to cut £5 billion from the welfare budget.

He said: “Every meeting I have is ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’. They’re asking the wrong questions.”

The government was ultimately forced to abandon its welfare reforms because of the size of the Labour rebellion.

In a message to Mandelson before the climbdown, McFadden said: “I think it’s very bad. Defeat, pull bill or gut it all destroy his authority.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “They are no longer the Labour Party, they are the Welfare Party. It doesn’t matter who is in charge of these people, the party for Benefits Street will tax us all into poverty to pay for more welfare.

“Pat McFadden has said in private what he and the Prime Minister deny in public. As I’ve said repeatedly, Labour MPs don’t understand where money comes from. They think our taxes are their money to spend, rather than the result of the hard work of the people in our country who deserve so much better.”

The government was forced to hand over the latest tranche of documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment after MPs backed a so-called “Humble Address” in the Commons.

Mandelson was appointed by Starmer with great fanfare in December, 2024, but was sacked just nine months later following fresh revelations about his links to the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

Ariana Grande has leaned into her dark sense of humour in the music video for her new single Hate That I Made You Love Me.

Merging elements of horror and comedy – two genres of which the Grammy winner is a well-documented fan – the tongue-in-cheek music video was released on Monday, featuring Justin Long as a man who’s haunted by a figure from his past, played by Ariana.

The clip opens with Justin digging what appears to be a grave, before it’s revealed that the No Tears Left To Cry is living in an abandoned room underneath it all, reading over her past diary entries.

Following this, the Weapons actor is seen trying to rid himself of visions of Ariana, culminating in him crashing his car, setting himself on fire and eventually revisiting the “resting place” – only for her to turn the tables on him in its final moments.

If all of that sounds like a lot, that’s probably because it is, but the five-minute clip is sure to get people talking.

Check out Ariana Grande’s latest video for yourself – also featuring what appears to be a cameo from a true Broadway legend – below:

Hate That I Made You Love Me was released last week, and while on the surface it seems like a straightforward break-up song, fans have been speculating that its lyrics see Ariana reflecting on her relationship with fame and celebrity.

The Wicked star previously described Hate That I Made You Love Me as “one of my favourite songs i’ll ever give to you, the greatest fans in the entire world”.

“I’m so grateful for all of the art, moments, songs we have shared,” she told her fans. “I can’t wait for this next chapter and all of the surprises I have for you.”

Hate That I Made You Love Me is the lead single from Ariana’s upcoming eighth album Petal, which is due for release on Friday 31 July.

The track is currently on track to give Ariana her eighth UK number one, which will be her first since 2020’s Positions.

As a sometimes gym girl, I do care about my protein intake. But for me, the priority is usually fibre.

Don’t get me wrong: protein helps us to feel fuller and keeps our muscles healthy (especially crucial as we age). But many of us are actually getting too much of it.

Meanwhile, only 10% of us eat the recommended 30g of fibre a day. That’s a shame, because it’s linked to lower heart disease, cancer, and dementia risk.

Whatever your health goals, though, one struggle remains constant: eating healthily throughout the week without feeling either exhausted by endless cooking or bored by bland meal prep.

I’m not saying my picks are the perfect answer: no meal is thrilling on day three. But I have found a mostly make-ahead breakfast and dinner combo that requires next to no effort to cook and means I can enjoy 22g fibre and 50g protein by 2pm, leaving my evenings more flexible for CBA dinners.

Here are the recipes if you want to give them a go:

While writing an article about Icelandic yoghurt Skyr, I realised I should probably try the low-fat, high-protein, creamy option. I used to make this meal with coconut milk, which was delicious, but I’ve found Skyr keeps me fuller longer.

• 2 ripe mangoes (this is a good way to use up overripe ones)
• 500g Skyr
• 150g chia seeds
• Cardamom spice (optional)
• Tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

1. Peel and slice the mangoes over a large plastic or metal mixing bowl or blending jug to catch all of their juices. The liquid is important here, because it makes the pudding softer.
2. Add the yoghurt and, if you want, cardamom spice and maple syrup. Either use a stick blender or blend in a jug until smooth. If you don’t want to blend it – I don’t always – chop the mangoes finely right over the pudding container, making sure again to catch the juices.
3. Add the chia seeds and stir, pushing every last seed you can under the mix.
4. Store in the fridge in an airtight container or containers. I find it’s good for the work week, but follow the yoghurt’s best before date if you’re not sure.

I was going to call this a shakshouka, but it’s really not – it’s just a sort of beany, tomato-ey, eggy mix that feels vaguely related. It takes about three minutes to heat up on my stove, but it’s important that your pan has a lid. This helps to finish the whites before the yolks get chalky, and the steam also helps to prevent food from sticking to the bottom of my pan.

• 3 cans butter beans (any other white bean will do)
• 90g jar harissa (I like mine spicy: if you don’t, try less, or use tomato puree)
• Sprinkle paprika
• Small onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 eggs
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• (Optional) lemon, for its juice
• (Optional) 80g feta, for crumbling on top

1. Warm the pan to a low or medium heat and add the oil once hot.
2. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and heat until softened: I waited about 10 minutes for a sweet, soft base.
3. Add the garlic and paprika and cook ’til fragrant. This takes about 30 seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook until it’s become thicker, 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the beans and harissa and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes more.
6. Cool a little before placing in an airtight container or containers and placing in the fridge.

1. Put a quarter of the prepared bean mix per person in a pan on medium heat.
2. Make little holes with a spatula and crack two eggs per person into them.
3. Put a lid over the pan (this is crucial) and leave it for about three to five minutes, depending on how “done” you like your yolks.
4. Lift the eggs out of the pan first so as not to break their yolks and spoon the bean mix around them.
5. Top with 20g crumbled feta, if using. It’s also great with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you have it.

The government has released the highly-anticipated second tranche of internal files on Peter Mandelson and his brief appointment as ambassador to the US.

The ex-Labour peer fell from grace last September after the depth of his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed.

But questions remain around why he was appointed in the first place and what kind of influence he had with ministers.

The Conservatives forced the Cabinet Office to release all documents related to the controversial hire earlier this year via a parliamentary procedure called a “Humble Address”.

The first tranche of documents showed that Mandelson had got the top job against recommendations from security officials.

Most ministers and civil servants have handed over their private exchanges with the former Washington attache for the second batch of documents.

Some of the files have been redacted amid concerns about international security and the ongoing Metropolitan Police probe into Mandelson’s conduct in public office.

The ex-Labour peer has not been charged and insists he is not guilty of any wrongdoing.

Deciding to appoint Mandelson into the top diplomatic post has cast a huge shadow over Keir Starmer’s premiership.

He has repeatedly accused Mandelson of creating a “litany of deceit” around his ties to Epstein, but his critics continue to lambast him over it.

Here’s a look at the most eye-catching findings within the 1,400 pages…

McFadden made clear his frustration with Labour MPs in private messages with Mandelson.

Speaking around the time Labour MPs were rebelling over planned welfare cuts in May last year, McFadden said: “Every meeting I have is ‘who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others’. They’re asking the wrong questions.”

The government was eventually forced into a huge climbdown on cutting welfare amid the backlash from Labour MPs.

The documents make it clear that the ex-ambassador did not want to assist the Humble Address process.

The report reads: “On 31 March the [Cabinet Office] wrote to Peter Mandelson – via his solicitors – to request any information held on his personal phone. Peter Mandelson declined to comply with this request. The Government has no further recourse to search the personal devices of Peter Mandelson.”

Olly Robbins, the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office who was dismissed over the Mandelson’s vetting row, exchanged messages with top officials – including the ex-ambassador – about a potential gift for Trump.

In August 2025, Robbins wrote: “As I’m sure you know, [it] is clear that one of the gifts that would mean the most to the President would be a red dispatch box with the gold crest and lettering mimicking a UK Government Ministerial box with ’President of the United States”.

Mandelson was involved in lengthy emails with other officials in trying to get the gift secured.

He then complained in a private email to No.10′s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney that “the saga goes one… this is like something out of [the] Thick of It… I have gone tonto on this.”

The messages showed many Labour figures welcomed Mandelson’s appointment when it was first announced.

Then-health secretary Wes Streeting told Mandelson that the “PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party] WhatsApps are stratospheric in praise” over Mandelson’s first public appearance in Washington.

Pensions minister Torsten Bell messaged Mandelson when he was announced as ambassador, writing: “You. Are. Here.”

He added: “Very proud of what is yet to come! Hope this comes off.”

However, several ministers – including then justice secretary Shabana Mahmood and transport secretary Heidi Alexander – appeared to Mandelson’s messages.

Then assistant government whip and now transport minister Keir Mather also ignored all contact from Mandelson.

Streeting, previously considered one of Mandelson’s “proteges”, was heavily criticised by Mandelson in his messages to Pat McFadden.

Mandelson said it was “pathetic” for Streeting to have circulated “a series of videos and a note” to the cabinet after his intervention on alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Mandelson then wrote: “I think Wes is experiencing an early mid-life crisis.”

Mandelson wrote disparagingly about energy secretary Ed Miliband’s spat with ex-prime minister Tony Blair about net zero in late 2025.

He claimed Miliband “couldn’t resist yesterday. So person and stupid. If he had played differently it would have had [a] fraction of attention.”

Discussing one of Starmer’s trips to the White House to discuss the Ukraine war, Mandelson tore into the prime minister’s “completely reductionist” approach.

Speaking to Pat McFadden over WhatsApp, Mandelson said: ”[Starmer] Wants to avoid any encounter with journos that might involve him answering a question. No sense of opportunity for personal projection. Just avoid all risk. Always the same. They/he have no confidence.”

He also attacked the No.10 operation, calling it “beleaguered and bereft” last July and said the top team “don’t think Keir knows what he wants”.

On November 18, 2024, Mandelson wrote a hand written letter to Lammy, then the foreign secretary, insisting that he was the right appointment as US ambassador.

He said: “I just wanted you to know that if you were minded to appoint me I would make sure you never regret it.”

He added: “I fear that navigating Britain’s interests through the Trump administration will require super-human skills and luck and a massive team effort.”

He continued: “For me, it would be the last thing I do in public life and it would be a huge honour to serve you and the government in this role.”

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.