Peter Mandelson, the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the United States, has been removed from his role within the Labour government. This decision came from U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after fresh details emerged concerning his “connection” with the deceased convicted sex offender .
“In light of the additional information found in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister has instructed the Foreign Secretary to recall him as Ambassador,” stated a Foreign Office announcement issued on Thursday. “The emails indicate that the nature and extent of Peter Mandelson’s association with Jeffrey Epstein are significantly different from what was understood at the time of his appointment.”
Focusing on a specific element of the communications between Mandelson and Epstein, the statement continued: “Peter Mandelson’s assertion that Jeffrey Epstein’s initial conviction was unjust and warranted a challenge represents new information. Considering this, and with respect for the victims of Epstein’s crimes, he has been relieved of his ambassadorship with immediate effect.”
Records disclose messages of support sent by Lord Mandelson to Epstein in June 2008, when Epstein was facing charges of soliciting a minor. “Your friends remain with you and love you,” Mandelson is cited as saying in one of over 100 messages exchanged between the two from 2005 to 2010.
“I hold you in very high regard, and I am filled with despair and anger over these events… I still struggle to comprehend it. Such a thing simply wouldn’t occur in Britain. You must display immense fortitude, strive for an early release, and maintain a philosophical outlook to the best of your ability,” Mandelson is quoted as writing in a different email.
, the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Europe and North America, announced Mandelson’s dismissal in the House of Commons on Thursday. This occurred amidst increasing pressure on Starmer to take action following the reappearance of the emails.
Mandelson’s name also featured prominently in Epstein’s recently disclosed “,” which showcased congratulatory letters reportedly sent by numerous high-profile individuals, including President Donald Trump, marking the occasion of Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.
Amid growing calls for Congress to release the complete Epstein files, the White House firmly , but refrained from labeling the documents as fabricated.
In his birthday note, Mandelson referred to Epstein as “my best pal.”
Mandelson previously informed the Financial Times: “I regret ever encountering him or being introduced to him by his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.” [Maxwell is presently for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors.]
In a recent interview with The Sun this week, Mandelson reiterated this feeling, commenting: “I carry an immense sense of regret, not merely for having met him [Epstein] initially, but also for maintaining the connection and accepting as truth the falsehoods he propagated to me and many others.”
TIME has sought comments from both the House of Lords and the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Starmer’s choice to remove Mandelson represents a distinct change from his prior declarations.
On Wednesday, when Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch the connection between Mandelson and Epstein as “repugnant” and called for his dismissal, Starmer : “The Ambassador has consistently conveyed his profound regret for his involvement with him. I trust him, and he is fulfilling a crucial role in the U.K.-U.S. relationship.”
After Mandelson’s termination, of Starmer, asserting that he had “failed another crucial leadership challenge.”
“He offered unwavering support to an individual unsuitable for public office,” Badenoch stated on Thursday.
