A growing body of publicly available information, alongside fresh reporting in the Mail on Sunday, is raising new questions about the role of former Tony Blair chief of staff Jonathan Powell in negotiations over the Chagos Islands, and his links to an organisation operating at the intersection of diplomacy, consultancy, and conflict resolution.
At the centre of the scrutiny is Inter-Mediate, a charity founded by Powell which says it works “discreetly at the highest political levels” to support peace processes. However, official filings and recent reports suggest a more complex picture, prompting debate about transparency, funding, and potential conflicts of interest.
A CHARITY, OR SOMETHING MORE COMPLEX?
Inter-Mediate is widely described as a charity. However, it appears to operate through a private company, IM01 Limited, which was incorporated in March 2011 and later registered as a charity.
According to filings with the Charity Commission, IM01 Limited, trading as Inter-Mediate, reported over £2 million in income from “charitable activities” in 2023/24, alongside significant government grants and private donations.
The organisation does not solicit funds from the general public and is not registered with the Fundraising Regulator. Its reports state that it respects donor confidentiality, meaning the identities of funders are not publicly disclosed.
Its governing documents indicate it can enter into contracts, provide services on behalf of other bodies, and engage with public policy and institutions. Some observers say this raises questions about whether aspects of its work may overlap with consultancy or lobbying activity, although there has been no finding of wrongdoing.
POWELL’S ROLE, AND AN UNUSUAL STRUCTURE
Jonathan Powell is widely acknowledged as the founder of Inter-Mediate and served as its chief executive from 2011 until December 2024, according to company accounts.
However, Companies House records do not list him as a director of IM01 Limited, an arrangement that has prompted questions about how the organisation is structured and governed.
There is no indication that this structure breaches any rules, but it has drawn attention given Powell’s subsequent senior government roles.
THE CHAGOS NEGOTIATIONS
In September 2024, Powell was appointed as the Government’s Special Envoy for negotiations concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory, BIOT.
Reports and correspondence released under transparency rules suggest Powell had already been in contact with officials prior to his formal appointment. During this period, he remained chief executive of IM01 Limited.
Documents indicate that information relating to discussions was shared with Powell via email, including to a non-government account. Critics have questioned whether this reflects standard practice, although no official finding of misconduct has been made.
Within weeks of his appointment, the UK Government announced its intention to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a decision that has sparked ongoing political debate.
£1 MILLION IN FUNDING, AND GROWING SCRUTINY
The Mail on Sunday has reported that an organisation founded by Powell received more than £1 million in taxpayer funding following his appointment as Chagos envoy.
According to the newspaper, this included a £700,000 grant awarded in October 2025, shortly after key parliamentary developments relating to the Chagos agreement, in addition to earlier payments.
Critics quoted in the report have described the funding as raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. One senior US official cited by the paper suggested that “undisclosed connections and conflicts” could have implications for intelligence-sharing confidence.
However, the Government has strongly rejected any link between the funding and the Chagos negotiations. A spokesman said the payments were part of an existing programme, begun under the previous administration, and “had nothing to do with the Chagos Islands”.
INTERNATIONAL LINKS UNDER SCRUTINY
Attention has also focused on Powell’s contact with international organisations, including the Beijing-based Grandview Institution.
Grandview describes itself as a think tank, and publicly available information shows it has links to individuals with experience in Chinese state institutions. Powell attended events and meetings involving the organisation in his capacity as head of Inter-Mediate.
The Mail on Sunday also reported that Powell has held meetings with senior Chinese officials, including foreign minister Wang Yi.
There is no evidence these contacts were improper. However, some commentators have suggested that such relationships may warrant closer examination, particularly given the geopolitical sensitivity of the Chagos negotiations and Mauritius’s international partnerships.
A TIMELINE THAT RAISES QUESTIONS
The sequence of events has attracted particular interest:
- 2023–2024: Powell attends meetings in Beijing linked to Grandview
- July 2024: Labour wins the General Election
- August 2024: Powell engages with UK officials on Chagos matters
- September 2024: Appointed Special Envoy
- Late September 2024: Attends further international meetings
- October 2024: UK announces plan regarding Chagos Islands
Some observers have questioned the pace of developments, although the Government maintains that proper procedures were followed.
PARLIAMENTARY CONCERNS
Separately, a parliamentary committee has raised concerns about oversight of the National Security Adviser role.
According to the Mail on Sunday, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy highlighted a “lack of clarity” over accountability, warning that this could limit effective scrutiny.
A MATTER OF TRANSPARENCY
Supporters of Powell point to his long experience in international negotiations and conflict resolution.
Critics, however, argue that the overlap between public responsibilities and leadership of a privately structured organisation raises legitimate questions about transparency and accountability, particularly in matters of national importance.
There has been no finding of wrongdoing against Powell. However, the issues highlighted in recent reporting and publicly available documents are likely to fuel continued debate about how such roles are structured, scrutinised, and regulated.
For now, one question continues to echo in Westminster:
Are current transparency rules sufficient for those operating at the intersection of diplomacy, government, and private organisations?
Jonathan Powell has been approached for comment.
Image: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. The original image has been cut to show just Jonathan Powell. Original image is Jonathan Powell and Paul Rios International Conference to Promote the resolution of the conflict in the Basque Country. Source: http://www.argia.com/multimedia/galeria/bake-konferentzia-iruditan. By Dani Blanco. File: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonathan_Powell_and_Paul_Rios.jpg
