The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has accused Peter Mandelson of lying during the vetting process for the US Ambassador job.
Revelations about the former US Ambassador’s close connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continue to damage the government, with Labour MP Rachael Maskell calling the PM’s resignation “inevitable”.
Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims for “believing [Mandelson’s] lies”.
Opposition leaders have called on Labour MPs to hold a vote-of-no-confidence in the PM, although Starmer has vowed to fight on.
Kemi Badenoch, Leader of Britain’s Conservative Party delivers a speech in London, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, will try to force the release of all documents relating to Mandelson’s 2024 appointment as US Ambassador, stating that the “cover up has gone on too long”.
It’s reported the government will apply for an exemption to keep sensitive information hidden in the interest of national security and international relations, rather than openly voting down the move in the Commons.
The 3.5 million documents released by America’s Department of Justice reveal troubling new details about Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, calling his previous statements into question.
The so-called “Prince of Darkness” stayed at Epstein’s New York residence during his imprisonment for soliciting a child for prostitution.
The Met Police are investigating the disgraced peer over emails that suggest Mandelson shared market-sensitive information with the disgraced financier while Business Secretary to Gordon Brown’s government.
The force has said that releasing certain files relating to Mandelson’s Washington appointment may “undermine” their investigation.
As people across the globe comb through the files, the scandal which has implicated senior business figures, politicians, celebrities and royalty continues to develop, with new details emerging by the minute.
Starmer’s government is in crisis and risks being engulfed by the controversy.
The PM sacked Mandelson as Ambassador to the US in 2025, but he remained a Labour member. Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday before Starmer could act.
Government ministers blamed inadequate vetting during the selection process, although this is the responsibility of the government.
President Donald Trump, left, gets a reaction from Britian’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson, right, as they take questions from members of the media after announcing a trade deal between U.S. and U.K. in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Starmer was aware that Mandelson had ties to Epstein and now claims the former Labour spin doctor and Business Secretary underexaggerated the “depth” of his relationship with the convicted paedophile.
FILE – Documents that were included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are photographed Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)
However, a publicly available statement from a JP Morgan report stated in 2023:
“Jeffrey Epstein appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government.”
This statement predates Mandelson’s Washington appointment by more than a year.
The scandal could provide a new perspective on Labour’s internal divisions, particularly the tension between New Labour and the socialist left of the party, represented by former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Mandelson stated in 2017:
“I work every single day in some small way to bring forward the end of his [Jeremy Corbyn’s] tenure in office… however small it may be – an email, a phone call or a meeting I convene – every day I try to do something to save the Labour party from his leadership.”
The emails included in the Epstein files reveal a redacted source saying to Epstein: “Oh and if Corbyn becomes PM we are moving to Portugal.”
Labour’s defeat in the 2019 general election paved the way for Starmer’s ascension. Figures on the Labour left may be wondering if the failure of Corbyn’s leadership can be attributed to the former Lord Mandelson’s subversive tactics.
Mainstream, a soft-left Labour Party network, today blamed a “corrosive political culture” for Mandelson’s appointment.
“It requires a system that elevates factional loyalty over integrity, that values connections over character and treats rigorous vetting as an inconvenience. True accountability means a total overhaul of personnel. We will not settle for less.”
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HeadlineEpstein Files Scandal engulfs Westminster with PM facing existential pressure
Short HeadlineEpstein Files Scandal Engulfs Westminster
StandfirstThe Prime Minister has accused Peter Mandelson of lying during the vetting process for the US Ambassador job. PM faces calls to resign.
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has accused Peter Mandelson of lying during the vetting process for the US Ambassador job.
Revelations about the former US Ambassador’s close connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continue to damage the government, with Labour MP Rachael Maskell calling the PM’s resignation “inevitable”.
Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims for “believing [Mandelson’s] lies”.
Opposition leaders have called on Labour MPs to hold a vote-of-no-confidence in the PM, although Starmer has vowed to fight on.
Kemi Badenoch, Leader of Britain’s Conservative Party delivers a speech in London, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, will try to force the release of all documents relating to Mandelson’s 2024 appointment as US Ambassador, stating that the “cover up has gone on too long”.
It’s reported the government will apply for an exemption to keep sensitive information hidden in the interest of national security and international relations, rather than openly voting down the move in the Commons.
The 3.5 million documents released by America’s Department of Justice reveal troubling new details about Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, calling his previous statements into question.
The so-called “Prince of Darkness” stayed at Epstein’s New York residence during his imprisonment for soliciting a child for prostitution.
The Met Police are investigating the disgraced peer over emails that suggest Mandelson shared market-sensitive information with the disgraced financier while Business Secretary to Gordon Brown’s government.
The force has said that releasing certain files relating to Mandelson’s Washington appointment may “undermine” their investigation.
As people across the globe comb through the files, the scandal which has implicated senior business figures, politicians, celebrities and royalty continues to develop, with new details emerging by the minute.
Starmer’s government is in crisis and risks being engulfed by the controversy.
The PM sacked Mandelson as Ambassador to the US in 2025, but he remained a Labour member. Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday before Starmer could act.
Government ministers blamed inadequate vetting during the selection process, although this is the responsibility of the government.
President Donald Trump, left, gets a reaction from Britian’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson, right, as they take questions from members of the media after announcing a trade deal between U.S. and U.K. in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Starmer was aware that Mandelson had ties to Epstein and now claims the former Labour spin doctor and Business Secretary underexaggerated the “depth” of his relationship with the convicted paedophile.
FILE – Documents that were included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are photographed Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)
However, a publicly available statement from a JP Morgan report stated in 2023:
“Jeffrey Epstein appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government.”
This statement predates Mandelson’s Washington appointment by more than a year.
The scandal could provide a new perspective on Labour’s internal divisions, particularly the tension between New Labour and the socialist left of the party, represented by former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Mandelson stated in 2017:
“I work every single day in some small way to bring forward the end of his [Jeremy Corbyn’s] tenure in office… however small it may be – an email, a phone call or a meeting I convene – every day I try to do something to save the Labour party from his leadership.”
The emails included in the Epstein files reveal a redacted source saying to Epstein: “Oh and if Corbyn becomes PM we are moving to Portugal.”
Labour’s defeat in the 2019 general election paved the way for Starmer’s ascension. Figures on the Labour left may be wondering if the failure of Corbyn’s leadership can be attributed to the former Lord Mandelson’s subversive tactics.
Mainstream, a soft-left Labour Party network, today blamed a “corrosive political culture” for Mandelson’s appointment.
“It requires a system that elevates factional loyalty over integrity, that values connections over character and treats rigorous vetting as an inconvenience. True accountability means a total overhaul of personnel. We will not settle for less.”
