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The Times in 2009 noting the closeness of PM Brown and his Business Minister. In comments reported by The Times, Brown stated:

“Peter is doing an excellent job. He has shown it was a good decision to invite him to come back from Brussels and join the Government.”

He added:

“We are working together in a common cause.”

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/gordon-brown-praises-lord-mandelson-the-man-who-saved-his-skin-ljmnb7xz2xj

The previous year, in the Guardian:

Peter Mandelson yesterday buried the threat of a Blairite coup against Gordon Brown, declaring he was ‘joined at the hip’ to the Prime Minister, who would lead Labour into the next election.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/oct/05/mandelson.gordonbrown

I know, yeeuch!

As PM, what would Brown have already known from MI5/6 briefings about Mandelson as he agreed to become ‘joined at the hip’ in 2008. This:

and this:

and this:

AI assessment

By October 2008, MI5/MI6 files would portray Mandelson as a high-value but high-risk asset: a skilled operator with proven loyalty to Labour but a track record of ethical lapses and elite foreign networks that could expose him (or UK policy) to compromise. The Deripaska ties, fresh from August, likely amplified concerns amid rising Russia tensions post-2008 Georgia invasion. No evidence suggests he was denied clearance— he served until resigning in June 2009 over the same Deripaska story—but intelligence would have briefed No. 10 on vulnerabilities. Later Epstein links (revealed 2025–2026) were unknown then. This reflects standard UK practice: vetting flags risks without always blocking appointments for political heavyweights.

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