Emma Reynolds when asked by Sophy Ridge if the Mandelson affair is a “Westminster bubble” story said: “I think we are spending too much time talking about it.” Reynolds claimed people on the doorstep aren’t mentioning the Mandelson affair, though did not deny they had pretty strong views on ‘Starmer’s leadership’…
The Guardian reports that Starmer’s ex-Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney will appear before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee next Tuesday. Cabinet Office perm sec Cat Little is up tomorrow to counter Olly Robbins…
Ian Collard, the official who conducted Mandelson’s vetting, and Robbins’ predecessor as perm sec Philip Barton have also been summoned.
Guido can reveal that Cabinet Office permanent secretary Cat Little is in discussions around her departure from her role. Labour’s efforts to replace personnel in the hulking Cabinet Office continue…
Guido first reported on concerns around Little’s performance in summer last year when a Downing Street source noted that she “seems to promise the earth all the time but can’t deliver.” Part of the Cabinet Office’s dysfunction with additional blame placed on Chris Wormald and Second Permanent Secretary Clara Swinson – both of whom are now gone…
Little has served as Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office since February 2024. She has – in conjunction with Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo – been at the forefront of efforts to access UK Security Vetting information on Peter Mandelson. That involved weeks of argument with Olly Robbins at the FCDO. Little is due before a hearing of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee tomorrow to discuss the matter…
A Whitehall source said: “There is a growing unease about Cat Little, who herself is not best liked around the system.” The source added that according to Whitehall chatter Little’s departure from government has been waylaid by the ascension of Antonia Romeo and the subsequent Mandelson vetting affair.
A Downing Street source said that Little is “due a move,” adding: “She’s not got a series of recent Permanent Secretary roles and is out of road. She and Antonia are now agreeing how and when she goes.” There’s a Perm Sec vacancy at DBT if Little fancies another go…
Efforts to replace Little will be marred by Starmer’s collapse of relations with the Civil Service. A Whitehall source said: “Not many people are going to want that job.” Quite…
UPDATE: A No10 spokesman said: “Cat is a high performing permanent secretary with a brilliant record of public service and modern leadership. There is absolutely no suggestion that her position is in question. She is a valued member of the civil service top team.”
Baroness Margaret Hodge, Labour’s ‘Anti-Corruption Champion,’ told Newsnight last night that No10’s efforts to secure an ambassador job for Matthew Doyle were entirely fair:
“If somebody you’re working with is about to lose your job, there’s nothing wrong I think in saying ‘Are there any other jobs available’ as long as you know that he could apply for going through due process to get those jobs… there’s nothing wrong with friends saying ‘are there any jobs around,’ what I do think was wrong was saying that they shouldn’t have told the Foreign Secretary I think that was wrong.”
Not even Pat McFadden took that line…
The Humble Address was passed on 4 February 2026. The first tranche published on 11 March. As of the 21 April the second half of the release is not yet out…
Darren Jones said at the time of the first release that the second batch was “not quite ready” but would be released “in the coming weeks.” There were suggestions that the second tranche would be released immediately following parliament’s return from Easter recess…
Some journalists are now reporting that the release of the files will not come before local elections on 7 May. The State Opening of Parliament is on the 13th…
The Sunday Telegraph reported:
“Downing Street sources say they want the files to be published as soon as possible – although The Telegraph understands it is unlikely to happen before the local elections.
Whitehall sources again blamed the Foreign Office for delays, with one saying: ‘The bit of Government that has been most difficult to get stuff from is the Foreign Office, who have been quite obstructive from the start – which has raised suspicion on whether they were hiding something.'”
A government source tells Guido that figures considering the release of files are extremely concerned about the publication of severely damaging information inside. All three humble addresses since 2017 were fully acted on within the same parliamentary session…
The first release concerned “all the documents that are available in relation to Peter Mandelson’s appointment and dismissal” which leaves ministerial and other communications up for release in the next and final tranche. No10’s ill-advised handling of the Olly Robbins fiasco shows the centre of government is less able to control events than it would like…
Another government source insisted that the files would come prior to May. Any attempt to delay the release of the files until after the May elections would be the final straw for Starmer’s freefalling operation…
Olly Robbins is offering his “blockbuster” defence against Starmer at the Foreign Affairs Select Committee right now. Round two…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”