Share and Follow
The UK government has pledged to disclose documents concerning the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, despite his past connections with the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
This decision follows the Conservative Party’s move to initiate a parliamentary vote, demanding the release of documents linked to Mandelson’s appointment, as reported by The Associated Press. Critics argue that Mandelson’s association with Epstein was publicly acknowledged at the time of his appointment, although new details have emerged since.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced tough questions regarding the revelations and the decision surrounding Mandelson’s role.
Starmer assured lawmakers, “I intend to ensure that all relevant materials are made public,” while clarifying that the release would exclude any documents that could jeopardize national security, international relations, or ongoing police investigations into Mandelson’s activities.
A photograph released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Peter Mandelson alongside the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as Epstein blows out candles on a cake. This image, undated, was shared from Washington, D.C., on December 19, 2025. (U.S. Justice Department/Handout via Reuters)
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch cast doubt on Starmer’s promise, demanding that the government publish all relevant files and “not just the ones the prime minister wants us to see.” Badenoch went on to accuse the government of “trying to sabotage that release with an amendment to let him choose what we see.”
“The prime minister is talking about national security. The national security issue was appointing Mandelson in the first place,” Badenoch said.
Starmer said he knew Mandelson had maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 prison term but that the former ambassador had “misrepresented the extent” of the relationship and “lied throughout the process, including in response to the due diligence.”
“Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party. He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein, before and during his tenure as ambassador,” Starmer said in the House of Commons on Wednesday. “I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.”
In response to a request for comment, Starmer’s office referred Fox News Digital to the prime minister’s remarks in the House of Commons.
The prime minister added that he had instructed his team to write legislation that would strip Mandelson of his title.
Then-Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, speaks during a welcome reception for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the ambassador’s residence on Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Carl Court/Pool via Reuters)
Last week, the Justice Department released a trove of documents related to the Epstein case. Among them were emails between the disgraced financier and Mandelson.
The files appeared to show that in 2009, Mandelson passed an internal government report to Epstein and discussed lobbying for reduced taxes on bankers’ bonuses, the AP reported. Additionally, the files suggest that Epstein sent payments totaling $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson or his partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
Following the revelations in the newly released files, Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords on Sunday.
President Donald Trump met with British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2025. (Jim WATSON / AFP)
In September, Starmer fired Mandelson from the ambassadorship after a string of emails, released by The Sun newspaper, showed he maintained a friendship with Epstein even after the late financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor.
Following the fresh revelations about Mandelson, police in the U.K. opened an investigation into the former ambassador.
Peter Mandelson, the United Kingdom’s former ambassador to the United States, was fired from the role in September. (Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)
Metropolitan Police Cmdr. Ella Marriot in London said following the latest DOJ documents dump, the Met received “a number of reports” into alleged misconduct in public office, including a referral from the UK government.
“I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former Government Minister, for misconduct in public office offenses,” Marriot wrote in a statement.
The House of Lords declined to comment on the police investigation when asked by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.