Keir Starmer has dismissed allegations of a “cover-up” following the release of the initial dossier of evidence concerning Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador by No10.

The document, spanning 147 pages, provided insights into the vetting procedures for the veteran Labour figure’s prestigious role in Washington. Starmer terminated Mandelson’s position last year due to his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender.

In response to claims that crucial information was omitted from the first batch of potentially thousands of documents related to Mandelson’s appointment, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asserted that a comment box reserved for the Prime Minister’s input was left empty.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson refuted accusations of a cover-up, stating that the government had fully cooperated and denying any concealment of information. While affirming that the Prime Minister had reviewed the advice, the spokesperson acknowledged the need for improvements in the appointment processes and the preceding procedures. Notably, no redactions were made to the relevant document section.

Additionally, during a press briefing in Northern Ireland, Keir Starmer took responsibility for the error in appointing Lord Mandelson as the US ambassador and extended apologies to Epstein’s victims.

The files unveiled on Wednesday revealed that Mandelson was offered a £75,000 severance package after initially seeking a payout equivalent to his entire four-year contract, amounting to £547,201 funded by taxpayers. Downing Street and senior officials urged the Labour stalwart to reimburse the funds or contribute them to charitable causes.