Mandelson lobbied ministers for Global Counsel after Labour election victory

Newly released documents reveal that Peter Mandelson, then president of advisory firm Global Counsel, actively lobbied UK ministers to attend firm events and meet staff in the months following the 2024 general election. Emails and WhatsApp messages show Mandelson facilitating introductions between Global Counsel employees and ministers, including Spencer Livermore, Patrick Vallance, Douglas Alexander, and Sarah Jones. Mandelson also invited ministers to events in Oxford, which he was contesting for the chancellorship, and sought their participation in roundtables on trade and clean energy. The disclosures are part of data released regarding Mandelson’s subsequent appointment as UK ambassador to the US.

Just days after the 2024 election, Mandelson sent a WhatsApp message to Spencer Livermore, the financial secretary to the Treasury, requesting lunch away from the Treasury with a Global Counsel employee. Livermore, a former director of political strategy in Downing Street, accepted the invitation. In a separate exchange, Mandelson emailed science minister Patrick Vallance from his Global Counsel address, providing reflections on his time as a minister. Two months later, he invited Vallance to a panel event in Oxford, though Vallance declined, suggesting the event be held after the Oxford chancellorship election to avoid the appearance of campaigning.

Mandelson also facilitated a meeting between trade minister Douglas Alexander and a Global Counsel employee, describing the interaction as an "enlightening conversation" on trade. Alexander subsequently met the employee, thanking Mandelson for the introduction. In October 2024, Mandelson emailed Alexander a lecture on a "High investment economy," further engaging the trade minister on policy matters through the lens of his advisory role.

Industry minister Sarah Jones was invited via email from Mandelson’s Global Counsel account in September 2024 to a roundtable on the government’s "clean energy mission." When the minister did not immediately respond, a Global Counsel "senior associate" sent four follow-up emails chasing her response, stating that Lord Mandelson had asked them to follow up. These communications highlight the persistent nature of Mandelson’s outreach to senior government figures during this period.

The files are part of a vast tranche of data that MPs voted to release in February relating to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Members of the House of Lords can have financial interests in organisations involved in parliamentary lobbying on behalf of clients but are prohibited from offering parliamentary advice or services to clients, directly and indirectly. Mandelson resigned as a director of Global Counsel in May 2024 but remained as president until January 2025. The company went into administration in February 2026, following disclosures about Mandelson’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.