Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador was deemed 'worth the risk' despite warnings over his links with Jeffrey Epstein, Business Secretary Peter Kyle has said. Kyle told the BBC that Mandelson's 'singular talents' were weighed against the known risks, but new emails have changed the situation.
The family of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre has criticised the appointment, with her brother Sky Roberts saying Mandelson 'should not have been given the position in the first place'. Giuffre's sister-in-law Amanda Roberts questioned why it took new revelations for accountability.
Kyle denied that Downing Street knew the full extent of Mandelson's contact with Epstein at the time of appointment. He said the Cabinet Office conducted an independent inquiry using publicly available information, and a political decision was made based on Mandelson's abilities to navigate the US-UK relationship during a difficult period.
The Conservative Party has demanded answers from Prime Minister Keir Starmer over what was known about Mandelson's links to Epstein, and has called for the release of related documents. The controversy comes ahead of Donald Trump's state visit to the UK.
