Sir Keir Starmer took the decisive action to remove Lord Mandelson from a top-level Labour role following the emergence of damning internal emails that exposed the veteran peer's communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The correspondence, which was reviewed by party officials, detailed the nature of Lord Mandelson's relationship with the disgraced financier. The discovery prompted immediate concern within Labour's headquarters, leading to a swift and quiet dismissal to avoid a full-blown political crisis.
A Quiet Exit from a High-Profile Role
Lord Mandelson, a former Business Secretary and one of the most influential figures behind the New Labour project, was unceremoniously dropped from his position on Labour's exclusive 'Victory Board'. This committee is tasked with crafting the strategy for the next general election and includes the party's most senior figures.
His removal was executed with minimal publicity, underscoring the sensitivity of the matter for Sir Keir Starmer, who has sought to distance his leadership from past scandals.
The Shadow of Epstein Looms Over Westminster
The emails in question are said to detail arrangements and discussions between the peer and Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Their contents were deemed so potentially damaging that Labour's most senior officials intervened directly.
This revelation places renewed scrutiny on the links between British political elites and the convicted criminal, a topic that has simmered for years but now threatens to boil over onto Sir Keir's front bench.
Starmer's Zero-Tolerance Dilemma
For Sir Keir Starmer, the sacking represents a difficult balancing act. On one hand, it demonstrates a ruthless application of his professed zero-tolerance approach to misconduct and association. On the other, it risks reopening old wounds from the New Labour era and exposing the party to further questions about who knew what, and when.
The move signals Starmer's determination to avoid any connection to the Epstein scandal, which has already ensnared numerous high-profile figures across global business and politics. How this plays out within the party's old guard remains to be seen.
