Starmer Confronted With Demands to Remove Mandelson's Peerage Following Epstein Revelations
Sir Keir Starmer is facing intensifying calls to strip Lord Peter Mandelson of his peerage and initiate a comprehensive official inquiry into his conduct, following the emergence of further details concerning his associations with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The former ambassador to the United States resigned his membership of the Labour Party late on Sunday, after authorities in Washington released millions of documents pertaining to the late Epstein.
Financial Transactions and Lobbying Allegations Surface
According to the newly disclosed documents, bank statements from 2003 and 2004 appear to show that Lord Mandelson received payments totalling 75,000 US dollars, equivalent to approximately £54,735, from Epstein. Furthermore, Epstein is reported to have funded an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelson's husband. In email exchanges dating back to 2009, when Lord Mandelson served as business secretary, he seemingly informed Epstein that he would lobby ministers regarding a tax on bankers' bonuses.
The emails, released by the US Department of Justice, also reveal that internal discussions from the highest echelons of the UK government were transmitted to Epstein in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. One such communication included an analysis of business lending prepared by government minister Baroness Vadera in August 2009. Although the sender's identity has been redacted, Lord Mandelson was involved in these discussions.
Political Leaders Demand Immediate Action and Investigation
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has been vocal in her demands, stating: "Enough is enough. We need a full Cabinet Office investigation into how Mandelson and his husband took money from the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while he was a Labour minister, and why Mandelson was appointed ambassador in the first place." Lord Mandelson has been on a leave of absence from the House of Lords since his appointment as ambassador to the US.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for Lord Mandelson to be stripped of his peerage, a move that would necessitate new legislation. Sir Ed suggested that Lord Mandelson should retire from the upper chamber while the legal process to remove his peerage is underway. He emphasised: "It's time now for the Government to take immediate action by bringing forward legislation to strip Peter Mandelson of his peerage. It is the very least they can do for the victims and survivors of his friend Jeffrey Epstein."
Detailed Email Exchanges Reveal Lobbying Efforts
Email correspondence from December 2009 indicates that Lord Mandelson, then serving as business secretary, was actively lobbying to alter a tax on bankers' bonuses, with encouragement from Epstein. This occurred during the introduction of the so-called "super tax" by then-chancellor Alistair Darling, aimed at curbing bank profits being used to pay substantial bonuses to bankers following the financial crisis.
An email dated December 15, 2009, purportedly from Epstein, reads: "Any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus." The apparent reply from Lord Mandelson stated he was "trying hard to amend", adding: "Treasury digging in but I am on case." Two days later, an email discussion suggests Lord Mandelson encouraged JP Morgan's chief executive Jamie Dimon to call Mr Darling and "mildly threaten" him.
Labour's Response and Mandelson's Resignation
Labour disclosed that Lord Mandelson was facing potential disciplinary action prior to his resignation on Sunday night. A party spokesman commented: "It is right that Peter Mandelson is no longer a member of the Labour Party. Disciplinary action was under way prior to his resignation. Jeffrey Epstein's heinous crimes destroyed the lives of so many women and girls, and our thoughts remain with his victims."
In his resignation letter to the general secretary of the Labour Party, Lord Mandelson wrote: "Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me. While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party." He also expressed a desire to "repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now".
Lord Mandelson was dismissed as ambassador to Washington last year following revelations of his continued contact with Epstein after Epstein's guilty plea in 2008 to charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor. The unfolding scandal continues to cast a shadow over his political legacy and raises significant questions about accountability and transparency within the highest levels of government.
