Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dismissed Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States following renewed scrutiny of his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Starmer instructed Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to withdraw Mandelson “in light” of emails showing he offered support to Epstein as the financier faced prosecution in 2008.
“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,” the statement said. It noted that Mandelson had suggested Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged, adding: “In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes, he has been withdrawn as ambassador with immediate effect.”
The revelations were first reported by The Sun and Bloomberg, which cited messages where Mandelson urged Epstein to “remember the Art of War” in dealing with prosecutors and encouraged him to “fight for early release.” On the eve of Epstein’s sentencing, Mandelson reportedly wrote: “I think the world of you.”
Mandelson told the BBC that he had “relied on assurances of his innocence that turned out later to be horrendously false,” saying Epstein’s lawyers claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy. “I foolishly relied on their word, which I regret to this day,” he said.
The fallout has been swift. Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called Mandelson’s position “untenable,” while several Labour MPs, including Andy McDonald, pressed for his removal. The sacking comes just days before US President Donald Trump is due in Britain for a state visit.
Starmer had defended Mandelson only on Wednesday, insisting that “due process was followed” when he appointed him to the post earlier this year, with the task of forging close ties with Trump’s administration. That defence followed the resurfacing of a 2003 letter in which Mandelson described Epstein as his “best pal” and praised him as “intelligent” and “sharp-witted.” The letter was among documents released by a US congressional panel probing Epstein’s case.
Mandelson, 71, a former Labour minister and European trade commissioner long known for his role as a party strategist, said he regretted “very deeply” his long association with Epstein.