Explosive court documents have thrust former Labour minister Lord Mandelson back into the spotlight, revealing a far closer relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein than previously acknowledged.
The newly unsealed files from a US court case detail a series of intimate communications between the two men, including a text message where Epstein chillingly referred to the British peer as his "best friend."
The revelations include:
- A 2015 text exchange where Epstein tells an associate: "You can talk to Peter [Mandelson]... he is my best friend."
- Evidence of a secretive meeting between Mandelson and Epstein in 2019, years after Epstein's initial sex crime convictions.
- Multiple email exchanges discussing mutual contacts and arrangements.
Perhaps most damaging is the confirmation that Mandelson met with Epstein in July 2019, just two months before Epstein's death in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. This meeting occurred despite Epstein being a convicted sex offender since 2008.
Mandelson's spokesperson has maintained that the contact was "limited," stating: "Lord Mandelson had no knowledge of, and was horrified by, the disgraceful crimes for which Epstein was convicted."
However, the depth of their association, as revealed in the documents, tells a different story. The papers show Epstein facilitating introductions for Mandelson and the two men discussing mutual acquaintances in their communications.
The revelations pose serious questions for the former Business Secretary, who served under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. As a key architect of New Labour, Mandelson remains an influential figure in British politics.
These documents emerged from a defamation case brought by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend and accomplice who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The disclosure adds to the growing list of high-profile figures connected to Epstein, though Mandelson is not accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein's criminal activities.
As the political world digests these revelations, attention turns to what Westminster knew about these connections and whether Mandelson will face further scrutiny over his dealings with one of the most notorious criminals of modern times.
