Newslinks for Monday 23rd February 2026

No 10 fast-tracked security vetting for Mandelson despite known links to Epstein

“Peter Mandelson’s security vetting as US ambassador was fast-tracked despite his known links to Jeffrey Epstein, The i Paper can reveal. Photos of Mandelson show he had security clearance to view “top secret” material within three and a half weeks of his role being announced, when such checks typically take several months. Insiders say the Foreign Office was asked to complete the former Labour peer’s security screening as quickly as possible to get him in post, under pressure from No 10 officials. The photographs and insider reports raise new questions about how quickly officials vetted Mandelson and whether they could have discovered his close connections to the convicted sex offender earlier. A senior Government source said that Mandelson’s vetting was done through the normal process but without the usual waiting period, because the most important roles are fast-tracked through the vetting system. A Government spokesman said: “No part of the vetting process was removed, or skipped in the case of Peter Mandelson. It is normal practice for vetting sponsors to expedite applications, and they can request that cases are prioritised based on operational deployment deadlines.” This is the first admission by the UK Government that Mandelson’s security vetting was fast-tracked, despite the publicly known concerns over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.” – The i

• Evidence in Epstein UK flight investigation ‘destroyed’ – The Times
• Epstein hid secret files in storage units across US – Daily Telegraph
• Andrew & Mandelson should be investigated for TREASON, senior MP demands & calls for special probe into Epstein links – The Sun
• Parliament ‘must launch a Treason probe into Andrew and Mandelson’, senior MP – Daily Express

Comment:

• Charles, William & the royals have to convince us right now monarchy is worth sticking with… I know what they need to do – Rod Liddle, The Sun

> Yesterday:

Britain faces billion-pound bill if Chagos deal collapses

“Britain faces paying billions in compensation if Donald Trump collapses Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos deal, The Telegraph can reveal. Ministers are concerned that Mauritius will sue if the Government cancels a treaty to give away the Chagos Islands, following opposition from the White House. This week, the US president changed his position on the deal for the third time, arguing that Sir Keir was making a “big mistake” and should not “give away” Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base there. As part of the deal, Britain will pay Mauritius £35bn over the next century to rent back the base and fund Mauritius’s development. However, Mr Trump’s intervention means the deal could be cancelled entirely, with officials privately admitting that it cannot go ahead without the United States’ support. Two Whitehall sources told The Telegraph that if Britain is forced to withdraw from the treaty, it will likely face legal action from Mauritius that could trigger a compensation bill worth billions… If the deal is cancelled, officials believe Mauritius will try to recoup the money anyway in the international courts.” – Daily Telegraph

• Britain could pay billions if Trump collapses Chagos deal – The Times
• Ex-defence secretary accuses Nigel Farage of ‘performing Maga stunt’ with failed Chagos ‘aid mission’ – The Independent
• Farage: My Chagos aid mission has been blocked – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

• Sir Keir must not allow Mauritius to force through the Chagos deal – Telegraph View
• Is Starmer’s 15th U-turn on the horizon? – Andrew Pierce, Daily Mail

Streeting must be sacked to reset Government, allies tell Starmer

“Wes Streeting should be sacked as part of the Downing Street reset, allies of Sir Keir Starmer have said. The Prime Minister is being told by his supporters to assert his authority and dispose of the “distracting” Health Secretary to get his premiership back on track. Sir Keir will return to Parliament after recess on Monday. He is seeking to stabilise his premiership following a bruising start to the year. He is conducting a wholesale overhaul of No 10 after the Lord Mandelson scandal pushed his Government to the brink, with the clear-out already costing him two of his most senior aides. Sources close to four Cabinet ministers have now turned the spotlight on Mr Streeting, telling The Telegraph he is becoming increasingly unpopular with Government colleagues after months of bitter briefing wars with No 10. They said the attacks on Downing Street were interfering with Labour’s agenda and could not be allowed to continue, with one warning: “The situation is clearly unsustainable.” Mr Streeting, a prominent figure on the Labour Right, is widely seen as a potential challenger to Sir Keir and has been accused on multiple occasions of plotting a coup against the Prime Minister.” – Daily Telegraph

• Sir Keir Starmer ‘drawing up plans to sack rival Wes Streeting for plotting to take his job’ – Daily Mail
• Keir Starmer ‘readies plans to SACK Wes Streeting for plotting to take his job’ – GB News

Comment:

• The Streeting/Milburn era must end to give the NHS a fresh start – HSJ
• Britain has been broken by bad ideas before: but seldom by so many at once – Robert Tombs, Daily Telegraph

> Today:

News in brief:

• Can Reform UK fix Prevent? – Dominic Adler, UnHerd
• Labour is trapped in a statist doom-loop – Eliot Wilson, The Critic
• Can Reform really make Britain Christian again? – Lois McLatchie Miller, The Spectator
• Equating the Greens with Reform will ruin Labour – Jonn Elledge, The New Statesman