Labour row breaks out as prime minister's top aide meets female MPs over Mandelson messages

Labour infighting has broken out over the future of Sir Keir Starmer's closest aide after he sent consoling messages to Peter Mandelson following his sacking as US ambassador. 

Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, met with a small number of senior female Labour MPs on Thursday after leaked messages reportedly showed he had told Lord Mandelson he was "so sorry" on the day he was removed from the top diplomatic role over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

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Mr Jones's messages with the peer were not released in the Mandelson files because the minister either turned on the disappearing messages feature on WhatsApp or had not backed up messages when switching devices.

The revelation has sparked anger among female Labour MPs, two of whom told Sky News that Mr Jones should consider his position - despite his apology in the Commons on Wednesday.

One said: "Darren Jones exemplifies all that is wrong with politics and quite frankly he should consider his position.

"What an insult to the survivors. I hope he takes a long, hard look at himself. Sadly it is significantly more likely he will hope this all just blows over."

The other added: "I think Jones's messages are incredibly disappointing.

"The sycophantic nature is embarrassing but shows the level of interference from Mandelson in the party.

"A lot of people, including myself, rated Darren. I'm sure he would have risen on his own merits. Now, I think he has seriously damaged any leadership ambitions he had.

"I do believe he should reflect and consider his position."

Another added: "There's nothing new in these messages. It is the boys' club.

"He should be listening to what we had to say ages ago, not just when he's on the ropes.

"If he was considering the leadership... I think that has been drowned at birth as a prospect."

A source close to Mr Jones said: "Darren deeply regrets his interactions with Peter Mandleson and apologised in the House of Commons. He knows there is a huge amount of work to do across the Labour Party to repair the damage of the Mandelson appointment."

Jones 'the victim of character assassination'

However, several other female MPs defended Mr Jones, with one supporter telling Sky News he was the "victim of a character assassination".

"To throw Darren under the bus because he had a back and forth with Peter Mandelson is a cheap shot. He is not the only one.

"His messages to Mandelson are not reflective of his character. MPs in other leadership camps are using it as an opportunity to throw mud at a potential candidate.

"I think it is appalling."

Another added: "Was his message to Mandelson a mistake, like others' were? Yes. Has he truly apologised? Yes. He's gone further than others, too.

"Any suggestion that he doesn't listen to women in general or take women seriously is as wrong as it is offensive, and I'd question the motivations of any accusations like that."

Sir Keir sacked Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US last September after new emails revealed the Labour peer sent messages of support to Epstein even as he faced jail for sex offences in 2008.

In a message to Lord Mandelson published by The Spectator, Mr Jones reportedly wrote: "You've been doing such a great job, and you worked wonders with Trump. I'm so sorry about today."

'I'd like to apologise'

On Wednesday, Mr Jones apologised for the messages and to Epstein's survivors, including one named Lisa, admitting that he had "subconsciously" treated Mandelson "differently because I believed him to have influence and power within the Labour Party".

He added: "Have I benefited from that relationship in the time I've been elected politician? I think in part the answer to that question is yes, I did. And for that I'd like to apologise to the House, to the victims, to Lisa, and commit to then doing something about it."

The Cabinet Office minister, who is reported to harbour leadership ambitions, also explained to MPs why the messages were not released in the Mandelson files - the batch of more than 1,000 documents that have been published by the government after the Conservatives used the Humble Address, an arcane parliamentary procedure, to force their disclosure.

An ally of Mr Jones told Sky News that the minister does not have access to the messages but recalls them to be part of a broader conversation with Mandelson - while adding that was not an excuse.

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One senior female Labour MP told Sky News they did not think it "stacks up that he didn't have the messages. It just makes you think what else we don't know."

The prime minister's official spokeswoman said on Wednesday that Sir Keir retained confidence in Mr Jones.

She also defended the use of disappearing messages on WhatsApp, after the prime minister confirmed he made use of the function - saying it was "entirely in line with the guidance".

The Mandelson saga has also generated a debate about the use of disappearing messages on WhatsApp and the impact on government transparency.

The Conservatives have called on Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister's independent ethics adviser, to open an investigation into whether Sir Keir broke the ministerial code by not keeping a record of his contact with Lord Mandelson on WhatsApp.

(c) Sky News 2026: Labour row breaks out as prime minister's top aide meets female MPs over Mandelson messages