<p>Last month, Parliament demanded the government release the Mandelson files. What followed was five long weeks of waiting.</p><br><p>This week, the Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary, Darren Jones, finally stepped up to announce their release. So, what’s inside? A total of 147 pages: 10 pages of contents and introduction, 28 entirely blank pages, 30 pages of standard HR guidance. All filler, no killer?</p><br><p>In this episode, we explain the release of the Mandelson files: who decides what gets buried or revealed in a document dump like this, why Peter Mandelson thought he deserved a £500,000 payout, and whether the most explosive revelations are still to come?</p><br><p>Timecodes</p><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>01:20 Mandelson scandal: Timeline of key events</p><p>03:45 What are the Jeffrey Epstein files?</p><p>05:11 How are the Mandelson files different?&nbsp;</p><p>05:46 The role of the Metropolitan Police</p><p>07:03 Parliament’s role in Mandelson file release</p><p>07:40 Government’s decision to release the files</p><p>10:02 How did these files get put together?&nbsp;</p><p>11:05 What’s in the 147 pages?</p><p>13:38 Why are there no WhatsApp messages in the files?</p><p>16:30 What advice did Starmer receive on Mandelson appointment?</p><p>20:35 The due diligence report explained</p><p>21:50 “Procuring a young girl”: Inaccurate language in the files&nbsp;</p><p>26:30 The government’s ‘fact finding’ mission</p><p>29:01 Why this should not be a political decision</p><p>35:15 Why did Mandelson demand a payout?</p><p>36:30 Mandelson: a cat with nine lives?</p><p>39:11 Kemi Badenoch’s reaction</p><p>41:45 Why this leaves Starmer so exposed</p><p>Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page <a href="https://instagram.com/intheroom.pod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><br><p>This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios</p><br><p>Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose</p><p>Producer: Sam Durham</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>