An internal review at a company founded by Lord Mandelson has revealed that a “significant” number of the former Labour peer’s business emails appear to have vanished.
The lobbying firm, Global Counsel, launched the audit after ministers agreed this month to release tens of thousands of communications from his time as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.
Fears that the disclosures could impact the company’s commercial interests prompted the due diligence exercise.
However, early findings suggested a substantial volume of messages were missing from Lord Mandelson’s email account.
The firm entered administration last Friday before the review was completed.
Administrators have so far been unable to establish how the correspondence disappeared.
Global Counsel had indicated it was prepared to hand over its full email archive to authorities, but no formal request was made before the collapse.
Emails that remain accessible include exchanges with senior Government figures regarding Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador, including correspondence with then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Sir Keir Starmer’s recently resigned chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
Early findings suggested a substantial volume of messages were missing from Lord Mandelson’s email account
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The archive spans almost a decade and contains around 1.4 million messages.
Lord Mandelson’s access to his company email account ended in February 2025 when he formally took up his diplomatic post.
He had stepped down from the board in May 2024 but retained his shareholding, which was later transferred into a blind trust in September 2025.
The firm’s collapse followed the departure of several high-profile clients, with all electronic records and devices now held by administrators.
Lord Mandelson’s access to his company email account ended when he formally took up his diplomatic post
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Lord Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He spent almost nine hours being questioned by officers investigating claims he leaked market-sensitive documents and insider information while serving as Business Secretary under Gordon Brown.
The Speaker of the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, alerted police to concerns that the ex-Labour peer was planning to flee to the British Virgin Islands, prompting the surrender of his passport.
His lawyers, Mishcon de Reya, later dismissed claims he intended to flee as a “baseless suggestion”, adding there was “no truth whatsoever” to the allegation.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle alerted police to concerns that the ex-Labour peer was planning to flee the country
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PALord Mandelson denies any wrongdoing and insists he did not seek financial gain.
He has not commented publicly on the missing emails.
Recently released US documents show he regularly corresponded with the late paedophile financier via his Global Counsel email account, with the company’s legal disclaimer appearing 681 times in the published files.
The European Commission has asked its anti-fraud body to examine his conduct in light of the Epstein disclosures, given his tenure as trade commissioner between 2004 and 2008.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has launched a review into whether Epstein’s private jet ever landed at RAF bases.
An MoD spokesman said: “The Defence Secretary has ordered a review of all records that the department may hold relating to Epstein flights landing at RAF bases to ensure that any information which relates to Epstein’s crimes is uncovered and provided to the relevant authorities.
“The MoD will support any civilian police investigations. Our thoughts are with all the victims of Epstein’s vile crimes.”
