Starmer’s chief secretary consoled Mandelson after dismissal as US ambassador, undisclosed texts show

The prime minster’s close ally Darren Jones sent his commiserations to Peter Mandelson after he was sacked as US ambassador in messages that were not disclosed as part of the humble address release.

Jones’s texts also included requests for advice on the reshuffle and disobliging comments about the then business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and the influence of trade unions.

The chief secretary to the prime minister was one of the ministers who said they had nothing to release because they had previously deleted messages or changed phones.

Mandelson, who was sacked last September because of revelations about his close friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, declined to hand over his own messages. The release of the files was prompted by a parliamentary motion that demanded the mass release of government communications relating to Mandelson.

In the messages, reported by the Spectator, Jones wrote to Mandelson: “You’ve been doing such a great job, and you worked wonders with Trump. I’m so sorry about today.”

In a previous message, Jones, then chief secretary to the Treasury under Rachel Reeves, told Mandelson that it did not “fill you with confidence” that Reynolds and the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner were in charge of the government’s growth plans along with Reeves.

He also reportedly said he had “lost faith” in Reynolds’ advisers “when, on a call about Port Talbot, they repeatedly took a different position to us in HMT ‘because that’s what the unions want’.”

According to the report, Jones also requested “thoughts/advice” about a proposed reshuffle and said he hoped to be appointed business secretary, technology secretary or energy secretary. He also said: “I also like MoD but think that’s unlikely.”

“DBT [Department for Business and Trade] my preference – everyone fond of Jonny but perception that DBT not firing on full cylinders,” he wrote.

Jones is understood to have replaced his phone after he began his role at the Cabinet Office and took over responsibility for cybersecurity.

In a pointed comment on Wednesday night, he told MPs that only Mandelson would be able to disclose any messages between the two of them.

“The only person who could release those messages, if they had them, would be Peter Mandelson, who has refused to disclose his phone to the process,” he said.

Starmer is also previously reported to have texted Mandelson with a warm message that did not appear as part of the humble address release.

The Spectator reported he had written to the former ambassador upon his appointment saying: “You’ll be brilliant in challenging circumstances. And after many years of discussions, we get to work side by side. I really look forward to that.”