Former Labour minister Lord Peter Mandelson has found himself at the centre of an embarrassing scandal after being photographed urinating in public on a Notting Hill street. The incident occurred following a late-night visit to former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne's multi-million pound townhouse.
An Embarrassing Incident in Notting Hill
The 72-year-old former US ambassador was captured relieving himself against a wall on Wednesday evening after spending nearly three hours at Osborne's London residence. Witnesses reported seeing the Labour grandee, once nicknamed the 'Prince of Darkness' for his political manoeuvring, in the compromising position just before 11pm.
When confronted about the incident, Lord Mandelson offered his "profuse apologies" to the Daily Mail, explaining: "I was stood up by two Uber drivers and kept waiting in the street for half an hour and was bursting. There is no disguising my embarrassment."
Fall from Grace at Design Museum
The public indiscretion comes as the Mirror revealed Mandelson had been stripped of his honorary position at the Design Museum in London. The prestigious role was removed following controversy over his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A museum spokesperson confirmed on Friday: "Lord Mandelson no longer holds any formal position at the Design Museum. He completed his term as Chair of Trustees in 2023." The institution, which receives public funding, had previously listed Mandelson under its "Trustee Emeriti" section, boasting of his "distinguished track record."
The Design Museum receives significant public money, with accounts showing £1.3 million from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the 2023-24 financial year.
Deepening Epstein Controversy
Newly disclosed correspondence shows Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein until as recently as 2016 - six years after the financier's conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution. The exchange, published among thousands of documents from Epstein's estate by the US House Oversight Committee, begins with a November 2016 email where Epstein writes: "63 years old. You made it," apparently referencing Mandelson's birthday.
This communication occurred shortly before Mandelson began his role as chairman of the Design Museum in March 2017. The former minister has previously expressed regret over his relationship with Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The latest revelations compound an already difficult period for Mandelson, who was dismissed from his position by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September when the extent of his friendship with the disgraced financier emerged.
