Keir Starmer was briefed on details of Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before deciding to appoint him as US ambassador, senior civil servants have told MPs. The prime minister received a Cabinet Office report containing 'a summary of reputational risks' associated with Lord Mandelson, including his 'prior relationship with Jeffrey Epstein' and past resignations as a Labour minister.
Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary, told the foreign affairs select committee that the report included 'direct extracts from media reporting and notes a general reputational risk' arising from the appointment. He said the judgment about whether to proceed was ultimately Starmer's. Mandelson's longstanding friendship with Epstein, which continued after the financier's conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, was already public knowledge.
Wormald outlined the due diligence process, which included a propriety and ethics report, a conflict of interest declaration, and national security vetting. The Foreign Office has admitted that Mandelson's appointment was announced before the vetting was complete. Oliver Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent secretary, confirmed Mandelson was no longer on the government payroll but declined to reveal whether he received a severance package.
Mandelson was sacked last month after leaked emails showed he expressed love and support for Epstein and urged him to 'fight for early release' in 2008. Wormald described the emails as 'gamechanging' and said they led to the withdrawal of the ambassador appointment. He and Robbins admitted Starmer was not informed about the emails' contents before Prime Minister's Questions, when he expressed full support for Mandelson.
Robbins said officials contacted Mandelson to verify the emails without involving ministers, and Starmer was only told of a media inquiry. The government has since introduced new guidance for politically appointed ambassadors, including pre-appointment interviews and informal 'fireside chats' with ministers, to avoid a repeat of the scandal.
