Ministers accused of cover-up after admitting withholding some Mandelson files
PM’s chief secretary Darren Jones defends decision and says next release will not be until next month
Ministers have been accused of a cover-up after admitting they have withheld information relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Washington ambassador from a parliamentary committee.
MPs from both sides of the Commons criticised Darren Jones, the prime minister’s chief secretary, on Tuesday after he said the government had not disclosed certain information to parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC).
Jones said ministers would now not publish the next tranche of documents on Mandelson until next month, prompting accusations that the government was trying to avoid doing so before the crucial Makerfield byelection, which is expected on 18 June.
Neil O’Brien, a shadow Cabinet Office minister, told the Commons: “To say that the government have applied redactions to documents sent to the ISC, beyond the scope agreed by the house, and have also withheld documents entirely from the ISC, is an extremely serious matter that completely undermines what the house agreed.
“This house, and the people of this country, deserve better than yet another cover-up.”
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On Friday the ISC published an unusually critical statement revealing that the government had withheld information from the committee including personal data and Mandelson’s detailed vetting files.
Jones defended that decision on Tuesday, insisting that the government had the right to redact such information, as it would do if making disclosures under the Freedom of Information Act.
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