New files show British PM warned of ‘reputational risks’ with Mandelson 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was warned of “reputational risks” if he appointed Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the United States because of his close links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, newly released documents show, but chose to pick Mandelson for the role anyway.

On Wednesday, more than 100 pages of documents covering the process of Mandelson’s appointment were published by the British government. Mandelson, a veteran political operator who has worked with several generations of Labour Party leaders, is currently under police investigation for allegedly leaking government documents to Epstein.

The documents were released following pressure from the opposition Conservative Party. In January, files released by the United States Department of Justice included emails that suggested Mandelson had shared secret documents containing the government’s trade plans to Epstein, including during the 2008 financial crash.

Among the newly released tranche of files, a document titled “Advice to the prime minister, checks conducted on 4 December, 2024″, read: “After Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008, their relationship continued across 2009-2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was business minister and continuing after the end of the Labour government.”

“Mandelson reportedly stayed in Epstein’s house while he was in jail in June 2009,” it added.

Moreover, in a summary of a fact-finding call between Starmer’s general counsel and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell in September, a document said that Powell thought that the appointment of Mandelson was “weirdly rushed”.

Starmer has remained firm that Mandelson had lied to him over the extent of his friendship with Epstein. He fired Mandelson from the post of ambassador to the US in September last year after reports of the depth of Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein were uncovered.

However, Starmer has admitted that he knew Mandelson had maintained a relationship with Epstein after his conviction in 2008, when he was convicted of sex crimes in Florida, including soliciting a minor.

The documents also showed that Mandelson was paid 75,000 pounds ($106,000) in severance — even though he had previously asked for more than 500,000 pounds ($670,000), equivalent to four years’ salary — when he was sacked from the position of ambassador.

Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones, told parliament on Wednesday that the government had learned lessons from the appointment and had taken steps to “address weaknesses in the system”.

More documents are expected to be released at a later date.