British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday dismissed Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States after revelations about the extent of his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador,” Britain's foreign ministry said.
“The emails show 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.”
It added that Mandelson’s suggestion in one of the communications that Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged constituted “new information.”
The dismissal came just a day after Mandelson publicly expressed deep regret over his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide in a US jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges.
In an interview with The Sun released on Wednesday, Mandelson said he carried on the association “for far longer than I should have done.”
“I feel a profound sense of sympathy for those people, those women who suffered as a result of his behaviour and his illegal criminal activities,” he said.
“I feel a tremendous sense of regret not only that I met him in the first place, but that I continued the association and I took at face value the lies that he fed me and many others.”
Mandelson described Epstein as a “charismatic criminal liar” and admitted the connection had haunted him: “I regret very much that I fell for his lies, that I fell, and accepted assurances that he had given me about his indictment. With hindsight, with fresh information many years later, we realised that we had been wrong to believe him … I regret very much indeed, I felt it like an albatross around my neck since his death.”
The controversy erupted after a birthday book was released containing a letter purportedly from Mandelson in which he called Epstein “my best pal.”
The documents have brought renewed attention to Epstein’s global network, which has also implicated figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump and Britain’s Prince Andrew.
Mandelson, a veteran Labour politician and key architect of Tony Blair’s electoral success, was the first political appointee to Washington in nearly half a century when he was named ambassador last year. Known in the media as the “Prince of Darkness” for his behind-the-scenes influence, he had previously been forced out of cabinet twice over separate scandals.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had initially backed Mandelson despite the revelations, telling parliament on Wednesday: “The ambassador has repeatedly expressed his deep regret for his association with (Epstein). He’s right to do so. I have confidence in him, and he’s playing an important role in the UK-U.S. relationship.”
By Thursday, however, the stance shifted as the newly surfaced emails sealed Mandelson’s departure.