Mandelson sacked over ties to Jeffrey Epstein

[dutchman]

Labour grandee had urged financier ‘best pal’ to fight for early release after conviction for child prostitution



Sir Keir Starmer has sacked Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US after new emails revealed the depth of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The Foreign Office said on Thursday morning that “in light of the additional information” in leaked private messages the Prime Minister had withdrawn Lord Mandelson from the post.

The decision was made after emails showed Lord Mandelson urged Epstein to fight for early release after the financier was convicted of child prostitution in 2008.

“Your friends stay with you and love you,” Lord Mandelson told Epstein after his arrest in Florida. The emails fuelled calls from Labour MPs for the ambassador to be sacked.

His departure came after The Telegraph revealed Epstein brokered a £1bn deal with Lord Mandelson over the sale of a UK taxpayer-owned banking business after his conviction.

It is another blow to Sir Keir Starmer, who lost Angela Rayner, his deputy prime minister, last week, shortly after a reset declaring “phase two” of his premiership.

The Prime Minister is now facing calls to explain how much he knew about Lord Mandelson and Epstein’s friendship before his appointment.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office read: “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.

“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. In particular Peter Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information.

“In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes he has been withdrawn as ambassador with immediate effect.”

The statement makes clear this was a sacking rather than a resignation, suggesting the ambassador may have resisted attempts to persuade him to step down.

Last night, emails obtained by The Sun and Bloomberg showed Lord Mandelson’s private support for Epstein as he battled prosecution attempts and was eventually convicted in Florida.

In one of the emails, obtained by Bloomberg, Lord Mandelson wrote: “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened.”

He went on: “I can still barely understand it. It just could not happen in Britain. You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release and be philosophical about it as much as you can.

“Everything can be turned into an opportunity and that [sic] you will come through it and be stronger for it. The whole thing has been years of torture and now you have to show the world how big a person you are, and how strong.”

[rebbonk]

Yet again, Starmer has shown a complete lack of judgment and awareness. Time for him to step aside.