Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced calls from opposition leaders to dismiss Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US, following fresh disclosures about Mandelson's ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The revelations include a reported 2010 business deal brokered by Mandelson, then business secretary, involving Epstein's assistance in selling a government-owned firm to a US bank, months after Epstein's release from jail for child prostitution offences.
During Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey pressed Starmer on Mandelson's suitability for the role. Badenoch cited a Daily Telegraph report and demanded the release of all Mandelson's correspondence with Epstein, questioning whether it was tenable for the ambassador to remain in post. Davey raised concerns about potential leverage by the Trump administration, which may hold further embarrassing material on Mandelson's dealings with Epstein.
Starmer defended Mandelson, stating that 'full due process was gone through when the appointment was made' and expressing confidence in the ambassador's role in UK-US relations. He described Epstein as 'a despicable criminal' and noted Mandelson's 'deep regret' for their association. However, Mandelson himself acknowledged in an interview that more 'very embarrassing' details could emerge, while insisting he had never witnessed any wrongdoing.
The controversy intensified after Epstein's 50th birthday book, released by US House Democrats, revealed a handwritten note from Mandelson calling Epstein 'my best pal'. Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, had previously referred to Mandelson as 'Petie' in communications. The prime minister stressed that victims of Epstein remain 'at the forefront of our minds'.
