Labour peer Peter Mandelson has issued a personal and unequivocal apology to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, following a significant backlash over his initial failure to do so in a television interview.
From Evasion to Apology
The former Ambassador to the United States faced intense criticism after an interview broadcast on Sunday, 11th January 2026. During the BBC appearance, Lord Mandelson was directly asked if he would apologise to the women and girls abused by the billionaire predator for his own association with him.
In his initial response, he limited his regret, stating he was sorry to the victims "for a system that refused to hear their voices and did not give them the protection they were entitled to expect." This was widely perceived as deflecting personal responsibility.
A Full Retraction and Statement of Regret
Following the public and political outcry, Lord Mandelson provided a new statement to BBC Newsnight on Monday evening, 12th January. In it, he offered a direct personal apology.
"I was wrong to believe him following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered," he said.
He explained that during his Sunday interview, he had not wanted to be held responsible for Epstein's crimes, of which he claimed ignorance. "I was never culpable or complicit in his crimes. Like everyone else I learned the actual truth about him after his death," he added, while acknowledging his failure to believe the victims at the time.
Political Fallout and Sacking
The controversy is the latest chapter in a scandal that cost Lord Mandelson his diplomatic post. He was sacked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in September of last year after emails between him and Epstein were made public.
Those messages, which Lord Mandelson himself described as "awful, toe curling," showed he had told Epstein he "thought the world of him" and had advised the financier to "fight for early release" following his first conviction in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Despite that conviction and 13-month jail sentence, Lord Mandelson stated he had believed Epstein's protestations of innocence. His continued association with the disgraced financier after this point has been the central focus of the criticism.
Reaction to his initial interview was swift. Fellow Labour peer Baroness Kennedy told Newsnight it was "shocking" he did not initially apologise, stating "Somebody like Peter Mandelson should have known better." Several Cabinet ministers also publicly criticised his comments.
When asked if his dismissal as Ambassador was justified, Lord Mandelson said, "I understand why he (Keir Starmer) took the decision he did," but added he was now focused on "moving on."
