A criminal investigation has been launched in London into allegations that Lord Peter Mandelson shared sensitive government information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as business minister in 2009. The probe follows the release of Epstein documents by the US Department of Justice, which reportedly show Mandelson alerted Epstein that the British government would soon act to prop up the flagging euro.
Mandelson, 72, is also accused of receiving payments totalling at least $75,000 alongside his husband. He has since quit the ruling Labour party. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament that Mandelson had “betrayed our country” and lied repeatedly about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as UK ambassador to the US.
Starmer admitted regretting appointing Mandelson, saying: “If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.” However, critics question why Starmer brought Mandelson back into the fold despite knowing of his links to Epstein, particularly given Mandelson’s history of resignations over financial scandals in 1998 and 2001.
Mandelson was fired as ambassador last year after emails revealed he maintained a friendship with Epstein. The latest documents have intensified scrutiny, threatening to destabilise Starmer’s government as the Epstein scandal continues to reverberate in the UK.
