Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday removed Lord Peter Mandelson from his post as Britain’s ambassador to the United States after the publication of emails showing a closer relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than had previously been disclosed. The decision came after a fresh batch of communications, published in the media, showed Mandelson offering support to Epstein and describing him in personal terms.
The leaked correspondence included messages in which Mandelson urged challenges to aspects of Epstein’s 2008 conviction and offered letters of support — material that government officials said was not made clear during the ambassador’s vetting. Downing Street and the Foreign Office said the newly revealed material materially changed their understanding of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein.
Mandelson, a veteran Labour grandee who had been appointed ambassador in late 2024, wrote to embassy staff accepting the prime minister’s decision and saying he felt “utterly awful” about his association with Epstein. The move amplified questions about the vetting process and the judgment behind senior political appointments at a sensitive moment ahead of a planned state visit by the US president.
The fallout was swift. Mandelson’s consultancy, Global Counsel, moved to cut formal ties with the peer, and opposition parties seized on the episode to criticise the government’s handling of the appointment. Ministers said an interim chargé d’affaires, James Roscoe, would take over embassy responsibilities while Downing Street works to find a permanent successor.
Labour figures and critics called for answers about what was known at the time of Mandelson’s selection and whether the full extent of his communications with Epstein had been disclosed to Whitehall vetting teams. The episode adds to political pressure on Starmer’s leadership, coming soon after other high-profile departures from government ranks.
The Foreign Office said it had acted after reviewing the newly published emails and that the decision reflected sensitivity to the victims of Epstein’s crimes. Parliamentary scrutiny and calls for a fuller account from ministers are expected in the coming days as MPs press for clarity over the appointment and the lessons to be learned for future diplomatic nominations.
