British Government Unveils Emails Showing Peter Mandelson’s Ties to Convicted Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein, Accuses Him of Betrayal

By Jim Thomas | Wednesday, 04 February 2026 06:02 PM EST
The British government announced it will release emails and other records concerning the decision to appoint former diplomat Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States following demands for transparency over his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that Mandelson had misled his team regarding the extent of the relationship. Starmer added that the government would publish materials related to the appointment, excluding information that could jeopardize national security, international relations, or an active police investigation.

Starmer described Mandelson’s actions as a betrayal: “Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament, and my party.”

The dispute intensified in the House of Commons as the Conservative Party pressed for a formal vote compelling the government to lay papers before Parliament. After hours of debate, the government agreed that Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, composed of lawmakers from multiple parties, would decide which materials to publish rather than leaving the decision to a senior civil servant, as Starmer had proposed.

Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September after emails became public showing Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein following the latter’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor. The same report noted that Mandelson has since resigned from the House of Lords and London police have launched an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.

In a separate parliamentary exchange, the government stated that Mandelson had resigned from the Labour Party with disciplinary actions underway prior to his departure.

The latest political turmoil followed the U.S. Justice Department’s release of unclassified Epstein records under the Transparency Act signed by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025. The department disclosed over 3 million additional pages, combined with prior releases, nearly 3.5 million pages along with more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that the department’s stance against initiating new criminal investigations remained unchanged despite the document dump.