Scottish Secretary did not declare meeting with Mandelson's firm
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander met with Peter Mandelson's lobbying firm shortly after becoming a minister, but this meeting was not declared for over a year. The government has since published documents revealing regular communication between Alexander and Mandelson, including discussions about trade policy. Transparency International UK criticized the delay in updating public records regarding these meetings, emphasizing the importance of transparency in government dealings.
- ▪Douglas Alexander's meeting with Global Counsel was only added to public transparency logs in March 2023, despite occurring in summer 2024.
- ▪UK law mandates that ministers report meetings with lobbyists every three months, but this meeting was omitted for an extended period.
- ▪Transparency International UK highlighted that failing to record such meetings undermines the principle of transparency in government.
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| Publication time | Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:58:40 GMT |
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Scottish Secretary did not declare meeting with Mandelson's firmJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleParis GourtsoyannisBBC Scotland Westminster correspondentGetty ImagesDouglas Alexander was in regular contact with Peter Mandelson ahead of his appointment as the UK's ambassador to the USScottish Secretary Douglas Alexander met with Peter Mandelson's lobbying firm to discuss policy within weeks of becoming a minister but it was not publicly declared for a year and a half.The government published more than 1,000 pages of documents relating to Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US on Monday.The papers include messages between Lord Mandelson and ministers exchanging advice and news as well as criticism of Labour MPs, the prime minister, and the operation of his…
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