Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, is at the centre of a scandal involving his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with allegations that he leaked sensitive government information to Epstein while serving as business minister in 2009. London police have launched a criminal investigation into claims that Mandelson shared market-sensitive data, including a warning that the UK government would act to prop up the euro after the financial crash.
Mandelson, 72, has quit the ruling Labour party, but the fallout threatens to engulf Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who appointed him ambassador despite knowing of his links to Epstein. Starmer told parliament that Mandelson had “betrayed our country” and lied repeatedly about his relationship with Epstein. “If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government,” Starmer said.
The scandal has shaken the British government, with revelations from newly released US Department of Justice documents adding to previous allegations. Mandelson and his husband reportedly received payments totalling at least $75,000 from Epstein-linked sources. Mandelson had previously been forced out of government twice: in 1998 over a secret loan to buy a house, and in 2001 over allegations of lobbying for a passport for a donor.
Starmer brought Mandelson back as a strategist for the 2024 election, and after Labour’s landslide victory, appointed him ambassador to Washington. Mandelson was fired within a year after emails revealed he maintained a friendship with Epstein. The latest documents have intensified scrutiny, with critics questioning why Starmer risked appointing such a controversial figure.
