The UK Foreign Office announced today that, "In light of newly released information, including emails written by Peter Mandelson, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered his dismissal from the post of British Ambassador to the US. These emails reveal the extent of Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which contradicts what we understood about him at the time of his appointment."
Peter Mandelson, 71, is a veteran Labour Party politician who played a key role in the party's success under former Prime Minister Tony Blair and is considered a "backroom master" of British politics. He was appointed British Ambassador to the US in 12/2024 and assumed office on 10/2.
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Peter Mandelson attends the Labour Party conference in Brighton in 2021. Photo: AFP |
Peter Mandelson attends the Labour Party conference in Brighton in 2021. Photo: AFP
American financier Epstein, born in 1953, was arrested in New York in 7/2019 on charges of soliciting and sexually abusing dozens of minors, some as young as 14. He faced 45 years in prison if convicted.
Epstein denied all charges and was held at the Manhattan jail in New York. However, while awaiting trial, he died by suicide in his cell in 8/2019.
The US House Oversight Committee released the first batch of documents related to Epstein on 2/9, including over 33,000 pages of records obtained from the Department of Justice. Among these documents was a scrapbook commemorating Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003, one page containing an inscription by Mandelson referring to Epstein as his "best friend."
On 10/9, Mandelson admitted "deep regret" for having met with Epstein and maintaining a relationship longer than necessary, an explanation initially deemed sufficient by Prime Minister Starmer to defend him before the British Parliament. However, mounting criticism and the newly released evidence appear to have forced the Prime Minister's decision to dismiss Mandelson.
One of the emails published by the Sun shows Mandelson advising Epstein to "fight for early release" before the American financier was sentenced to 18 months in prison for soliciting a minor in 6/2008. "I am very fond of you," Mandelson wrote in the email.
Thanh Danh (AP, Reuters)
