Is the Government censoring the Mandelson Papers? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 143
21 May 2026
This week the Intelligence and Security Committee took the highly unusual step of publicly challenging the Government, over redactions in documents linked to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington. We talk to the committee’s deputy chair, Sir Jeremy Wright, about what is going on. The ballot for Private Members’ Bills also took place this week, raising fresh questions about whether one of the successful MPs might bring back the assisted dying bill. And we unpick the confusion surrounding the Government’s latest Russia sanctions package – including why ministers announced a ban on some oil products derived from Russian crude while simultaneously exempting two of them – diesel and jet fuel – through a little-known licensing system that Parliament never gets to vote on.
Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS
The row over Lord Mandelson’s appointment as Britain’s ambassador to Washington flared up again this week after the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) accused the Government of improperly redacting documents linked to his appointment. Back in February, ministers were forced to release papers under a Humble Address to the King, with the ISC tasked with deciding what could be withheld on national security or diplomatic grounds. But the Committee now says material has been removed for other reasons not covered by the agreement. Senior ISC member Sir Jeremy Wright MP challenged ministers in the Commons through an Urgent Question, before speaking to us about his concerns and the Government’s response.
The annual Private Members’ Bill ballot – Westminster’s version of legislative bingo – has also taken place, with MPs jostling for one of the precious top spots that can offer a realistic chance of changing the law. The big question now is whether one of those successful MPs will choose to bring back the assisted dying bill.
And we untangle the Government’s latest Russia sanctions announcement, after ministers caused confusion over whether the UK was finally banning oil products refined in third countries using Russian crude. We explain how the Russia sanctions regime works, and why – at the very moment the new sanctions came into force – ministers also issued a general trade licence exempting diesel and jet fuel from the restrictions. The Government insists the exemption is only temporary but cannot say when it will end. We explore why Parliament gets a vote on the sanctions regulations themselves, but not on the general licences that can effectively water them down, and what that says about the gap between headline sanctions announcements and the quieter reality of how they are implemented in practice. The discussion also raises wider questions about how often these behind-the-scenes exemptions are being used, including in areas such as legal services, diamonds, steel, software and technology.
Sir Jeremy Wright MP
Sir Jeremy Wright MP
Sir Jeremy Wright MP is the Deputy Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, the statutory committee of MPs and peers elected by Parliament to scrutinise the UK intelligence services. He has been a Conservative Member of Parliament since 2005, having been first elected for Rugby and Kenilworth then re-elected in 2010 for Kenilworth and Southam. He served in Government from 2010, first as a junior Whip, then successively as Minister for Prisons and Rehabilitation, Attorney General (when he received the customary appointment of Queen’s Counsel), and finally as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, before being sacked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019. Prior to his time as a Minister he served on the House of Commons Justice Select Committee and founded and chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia. Before being elected to Parliament, he practised as a criminal law barrister.
A full transcript of this episode will be added by the end of today.
Subscribe to Parliament Matters
Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.
