British Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson dismissed after emails reveal ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Peter Mandelson was dismissed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States on Thursday after emails and letters published this week showed a closer relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than was previously known.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the newly reported correspondence — including a letter calling Epstein “my best pal” and emails in which Mandelson advised Epstein to seek early release in 2008 — demonstrated that “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer asked for Mandelson’s removal after reviewing the material.

Mandelson had issued a statement on Wednesday saying he “deeply regretted” meeting Epstein and acknowledged he had “carried on the association for far longer than I should have done,” saying he had been misled by what he called a “charismatic criminal liar.” The prime minister had initially expressed strong support for Mandelson, praising his work on a U.S. trade deal and noting Mandelson was the first political appointee to the post in nearly 50 years.

The published documents include a 2008 letter and emails that referenced Epstein’s conviction that year for soliciting a minor and suggested challenging that conviction. Epstein died in a U.S. prison in 2019.

Mandelson previously served in senior Labour government roles and had resigned from cabinet twice under Tony Blair. Media reports also highlighted past associations, including photographs of Mandelson on holiday with Epstein and earlier reports that he spent time aboard a yacht owned by Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska; Mandelson denied granting favours to Deripaska while serving as European trade commissioner.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Starmer acted “prompt and decisive” after seeing the new material and described the emails as “reprehensible.” Some Labour lawmakers criticised the timing of the government’s response, saying the matter should have been handled more quickly.

The dismissal comes as Starmer faces political pressure from weak opinion polls and internal party unrest following recent controversies involving other senior figures.

Source: reuters