How the Epstein files exposed the career of a senior British politician – and now threaten PM Starmer’s career
When it comes to appointing British politicians, Washington has always been a key position, keeping the so-called “special relationship” between the two countries running smoothly, regardless of which US president is in office.
British political observers were surprised when Prime Minister Keir Starmer sent veteran politician Peter Mandelson to Washington in February 2025 to take up the post. Mandelson had a history of scandalous resignations from the previous Labor government, including undisclosed loans and his alleged involvement in the so-called Hinduja cash passport scandal.
As UK ambassador, Mandelson stayed for eight months until Starmer he fired her because of her reconnection to Jeffrey Epstein. He also resigned as a member of the Labor Party on Sunday.
That resignation came after the US Department of Justice released another three million files related to the convicted sex offender on Friday. Recent leaks have revealed more details about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein.
Their friendship was not a secret, but it is now that the true depth of their ongoing communication comes to light. Meanwhile, Starmer confirmed for the first time on Wednesday, after heated questions from the opposition leader, that he was aware of Mandelson’s long relationship with Epstein before appointing him as US ambassador. Starmer said Mandelson “lied repeatedly” about their relationship.
Now, the prime minister’s judgment is under scrutiny.
“This is very problematic for him,” Steven Fielding, an emeritus professor of political history at the University of Nottingham in central England, told CBC News.
“It involves questions about his ability.”
British police have launched an investigation into Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, for alleged misconduct in public office following allegations that he leaked sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson also retired from the upper house of Parliament, the House of Lords, because of the Epstein scandal.
Email disclosures
Peter Mandelson, a 72-year-old political veteran, is the Labor spin doctor who turned the party into an electoral party after years in the wilderness in the 1980s. He led former prime minister Tony Blair to a landslide election victory in 1997, joining his government and the cabinet of his successor, Gordon Brown.
“He connected with the rich and powerful,” said Fielding.
Newly released emails between Mandelson and Epstein appear to suggest that in 2009, when he was Brown’s business secretary and deputy prime minister, he shared sensitive government market information and confidential Downing Street emails with Epstein.
That same year, Mandelson told Epstein that he was “trying hard” to change government policy on the taxation of bank bonuses, suggesting that then-boss JP Morgan should gently threaten Britain’s chancellor of the exchequer, the late Alistair Darling.
Other emails point to Mandelson allegedly tipping off Epstein about a multibillion-dollar bailout by the European Union to save the euro, amid concerns about Greece’s escalating debt crisis.
In 2010, Mandelson reportedly helped a friend of Epstein’s make a deal with a UK business.
Allegations from the files of payments from Epstein to Mandelson and his associates, said to total $75,000 US, have not been disclosed. Mandelson said he has no record or recollection of receiving the funds, and believes the allegations are false, he wrote in a resignation letter Sunday.
There are also photos including one of a politician in underwear standing next to an unidentified woman in a bathrobe. The context and location are unknown, like many of the images in the Epstein files. UK media caught on to the photo on Wednesday.
After Epstein’s July 2009 release from prison for soliciting a minor, Mandelson sent him an email, calling it “a day of freedom.”
In an interview with the BBC in January, Mandelson apologized “unequivocally” for meeting Epstein after the conviction, suggesting that as a gay man he had no knowledge of the patron’s scandalous sex life.
The British police have confirmed that they have now opened a criminal investigation, examining whether there is a case of accountability for misconduct in public office.
The pressure is building on Starmer
In the British House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer told MPs that Mandelson had “sold our country out” after he “lied repeatedly” about his relationship with the disgraced financier. Starmer said he regrets appointing him to the post in Washington.
Opposition MPs are furious, as are those from Starmer’s ruling party. The British government was forced to release documents related to Mandelson’s appointment as American ambassador. Even Starmer’s other MPs are putting pressure on them to be released, although the government initially wanted to reduce them, citing security concerns.
Former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing increased scrutiny after a new episode of the Epstein files revealed questionable images and the BBC aired fresh allegations of a woman linking the two men.
There is a sense that Starmer, who came to power after the Labor Party was in opposition for 14 years, could not have faced this scandal if it were not for his other difficulties. It also includes issues affecting the economy, his perceived weakness as a leader, a number of U-turns his government has taken, which has resulted in Labor being weak in recent polls.
“It’s a political mess,” said Anand Menon, professor of European politics at King’s College London.
“For now, the Starmer government feels like it’s on life support.”
As for Mandelson, “there is no going back,” said Fielding, a professor at the University of Nottingham. “It is corruption.”
A British tabloid called him the “dark lord,” as he is often seen as a ruthless political activist.
But as the latest scandal continues to unfold, Fielding said, “his magical powers are apparently now, you know, gone … like that.”
