Whips scramble to broker a last-minute deal handing veto power to the Intelligence Committee, narrowly averting a humiliating government defeat in the Commons.

It was a day of high drama in the House of Commons as the Labour government narrowly averted a self-inflicted disaster. Faced with a credible threat that its own MPs would vote down a government amendment, party whips were forced into a frantic, last-minute compromise. The deal, brokered by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Treasury Committee chair Meg Hillier, will see the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) take charge of vetting the explosive Peter Mandelson files before their release.

The concession is a significant victory for backbenchers who were appalled by the government's initial attempt to limit disclosures. "This is Boris and Chris Pincher on steroids," one senior Labour figure remarked, highlighting the severity of the anger directed at Keir Starmer’s handling of the affair. The fear was that the original amendment gave too much power to the Cabinet Secretary to suppress embarrassing details under the guise of national security.

The Rayner Intervention

Once again, it was Angela Rayner who stepped in to save the government from itself. Her intervention has been praised by MPs as an act of "swift political judgment" that prevented a damaging public split. The deal ensures that the ISC, a body with the highest security clearance, will act as the arbiter, stripping the executive of the power to mark its own homework.

• The Criminal Probe: The urgency is driven by a Metropolitan Police investigation into whether Mandelson committed misconduct in public office by forwarding sensitive documents to Jeffrey Epstein.
• The Conservative Pivot: The Tories, sensing blood, have agreed to back the new amendment, effectively isolating Mandelson and turning the spotlight onto Starmer’s judgment in appointing him.

A Crisis of Confidence

The fallout from this affair is far from over. By agreeing to the ISC's oversight, Starmer has effectively lost control of the narrative. The files, when released, promise to shed light on the murky relationship between a senior British statesman and a convicted sex offender.

For a Prime Minister who campaigned on integrity, the Mandelson affair is a festering wound. The rebellion may have been quelled for now, but the trust between the frontbench and the party faithful has been severely shaken.