Badenoch Accuses Prime Minister of Ignoring Mandelson-Epstein Relationship
Conservative Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has intensified her criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, asserting he was fully aware of Peter Mandelson's connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein but deliberately chose to overlook them. Badenoch described Starmer's subsequent actions as a display of "self-righteousness and false piety" during a period of growing political turmoil.
Claims of Prior Knowledge and Deliberate Oversight
In a detailed interview with The Telegraph, Badenoch stated unequivocally: "I believed Starmer knew. If the Conservative Research Department knew Mandelson had continued that friendship with Epstein, everybody knew." She emphasized that Starmer "chose not to care" despite having evidence of Mandelson's questionable associations directly before him during the appointment process.
Drawing on her five years of government experience, Badenoch explained she understood "how vetting works" and the necessity to "fight to get people into jobs." She expressed frustration about "knowing but not being able to prove anything," describing the situation as "incredibly frustrating."
Starmer's Defense and Parliamentary Fallout
The Prime Minister addressed the controversy during a speech in Hastings, insisting that "none of us knew the depth of the darkness" surrounding Mandelson's friendship with Epstein. Starmer revealed that before appointing Mandelson as US ambassador in February 2025, the peer was "asked directly" about his relationship with Epstein and provided misleading answers.
"The information now available makes clear that the answers he gave were lies," Starmer stated. "He portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew. And when that became clear and it was not true, I sacked him. Such deceit is incompatible with public service."
Starmer apologized for having believed Mandelson's falsehoods and for appointing him, but questions have emerged about why the Prime Minister accepted Mandelson's claims at face value given previously published photographs and extensive media reporting about their association.
Vetting Process Controversy and Security Service Involvement
Amidst a significant parliamentary revolt, Starmer shifted blame to security services, criticizing the "vetting carried out independently by the security services" and suggesting the process required review. This statement provoked immediate backlash, as critics noted Starmer had already approved Mandelson's ambassadorial appointment before comprehensive national security vetting occurred.
Contrary to Starmer's implications, MI5 did not conduct the primary vetting—that responsibility fell to the Cabinet Office with limited intelligence service input. A two-page Cabinet Office propriety and ethics report compiled for Starmer before the appointment highlighted reputational risks, including:
- Mandelson's 2009 stay at Epstein's townhouse while the financier was imprisoned
- An internal JP Morgan report from 2019 noting Epstein "appears to maintain a particularly close relationship" with Mandelson
- Reports of Mandelson attending intimate gatherings at Epstein's Manhattan residence from 2002 onward
- Photographs from 2007 showing the pair celebrating a birthday at Epstein's Paris apartment
Criminal Investigation and Police Raids
The Metropolitan Police has launched a probe into allegations of misconduct in public office, focusing on whether Mandelson transmitted market-sensitive information to Epstein during his tenure as business secretary. Officers executed simultaneous raids on Mandelson's £12 million London residence and his rented Wiltshire farmhouse, collecting evidence in cardboard boxes and bags.
Top corporate and financial crime lawyer Adrian Darbishire KC visited Mandelson's London home, though he declined to comment on whether he represents the peer. Mandelson has not been arrested but may face questioning in coming weeks. Those convicted of misconduct in public office face potential life imprisonment.
Email Revelations and Political Consequences
Recently disclosed emails from 2009 suggest Mandelson provided Epstein with a Downing Street assessment of potential policy measures, including an "asset sales plan." Additional communications indicate discussions about a bankers' bonus tax and confirmation of an imminent euro bailout package before its 2010 announcement.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed outrage, telling the BBC: "This was financially secret information, it meant Britain was at risk because of that, the currency was at risk... and there's no doubt that huge commercial damage could have been done and perhaps was done."
Following these revelations—alongside photographs showing Mandelson in his underwear—the peer resigned from the Labour Party and stepped down from the Lords. He maintains through a spokesperson that he "did not act criminally" and that his actions "were not for personal gain," while expressing profound regret for having believed Epstein's lies about his criminality.
Starmer has warned that reviewing the "very significant volume of material" related to the case—potentially tens of thousands of documents—will require substantial time, with Parliament's security watchdog overseeing the process. Scotland Yard has requested certain documents be withheld to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing criminal investigation.
