Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dismissed Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the United States following revelations about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Foreign Office confirmed that Mandelson failed to disclose the full extent of his relationship with Epstein when appointed.
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told MPs that Mandelson had not revealed emails from 2008 in which he suggested Epstein's conviction for soliciting a child for prostitution was wrongful and should be challenged. A Foreign Office spokesperson said the new information showed a materially different relationship than previously known.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed disgust at the messages, while government sources said Starmer decided to sack Mandelson after reviewing the emails. The decision was made during a meeting with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Thursday morning.
Mandelson's departure comes as the government prepares for a state visit by US President Donald Trump, who also faced questions about his association with Epstein. Deputy head of mission James Roscoe will serve as interim ambassador.
Opposition leaders criticised Starmer's judgment. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of dithering, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey demanded a parliamentary explanation. Some Labour MPs expressed anger over the blunder following Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's resignation over tax affairs.
Mandelson had admitted on Tuesday that more embarrassing details of his friendship with Epstein were likely to emerge, but insisted he had never witnessed any wrongdoing. The emails were published by the Sun after circulating in Washington DC.
