Newly disclosed messages between Lord Peter Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the United States, and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have intensified calls from Labour MPs and victims’ lawyers for the peer to step down, weeks before a state visit by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The emails, first reported in British media on Monday and said by Bloomberg to have been sent to Mandelson for comment, include exchanges from June 2008 in which Mandelson told Epstein "everything can be turned into an opportunity," urged him to "fight for early release" and wrote that "your friends love you." The correspondence appears alongside material released by U.S. lawmakers from a social album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003 that contains a lengthy handwritten greeting from Mandelson and holiday photographs.
The revelations prompted immediate criticism from within the Labour Party. Backbenchers including Richard Burgon, Nadia Whittome and Andy McDonald called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to remove Mandelson, 71, from his post. McDonald told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mandelson's position was "completely and utterly untenable" and said he had not found any party colleagues offering support.
Left-wing MP Clive Lewis wrote on X that Mandelson "isn't an outlier — he's the embodiment of the rot at the heart of modern politics," while other Labour MPs described "widespread revulsion". Women who say they were abused by Epstein and lawyers representing victims also demanded action. Spencer Kuvin called Mandelson's close friendship with Epstein "disgusting" and said the peer should be investigated, and Lisa Bloom described the revelations as "truly appalling."
Downing Street has faced questions over Mandelson's role in advance of President Trump's state visit next week. In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer said he had confidence in Mandelson and that the ambassador was "playing an important role in the UK–US relationship." But Home Office minister Mike Tapp — when asked on Times Radio whether Mandelson would still be in post during the visit — replied, "As far as I know," and said the prime minister's Commons statement remained the latest official position.
Conservative former ministers and Tory frontbench figures have urged the government to distance itself from Mandelson. Former cabinet minister Gavin Williamson said it would be inappropriate to risk placing the King in an "embarrassing" position by having the ambassador at events where the sovereign will be present. Downing Street said Mandelson "will obviously be represented at the state visit." Mandelson is expected to attend a state dinner at Windsor Castle and private discussions between the prime minister and President Trump.
Mandelson has previously acknowledged the closeness of his association with Epstein and said he had maintained the relationship "far longer than I should have done." He told the podcast Harry Cole Saves the West that he had taken Epstein "at face value" and described him as a "charismatic criminal liar." Mandelson has said Epstein never introduced him to women and suggested that, as a gay man, such introductions would not have been made.
The newly publicised 2008 messages come a month after prosecutors in Florida gave Epstein an ultimatum over a plea deal; on June 30, 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to two counts of soliciting a minor and was later sentenced to 18 months in jail under a non‑federal arrangement. Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges accusing him of running a sex trafficking operation that victimised underage girls.
Critics have also called for Mandelson to be summoned to give evidence to parliamentary committees and for an inquiry into the vetting process that led to his diplomatic appointment. Mandelson was appointed by Starmer as Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. earlier this year, a role that has placed him at the centre of high-level diplomatic activity in Washington.
Labour sources and Downing Street have emphasised that Mandelson has expressed regret over his dealings with Epstein. Mandelson previously sent photographs and a lengthy handwritten birthday greeting to Epstein that appear in the Maxwell album; photographs in the collection show Mandelson visiting Epstein properties in the early 2000s.
The release of the material by U.S. lawmakers and the reporting in British outlets has added pressure on the government to set out its position on the ambassador’s future. Officials have not announced any formal inquiry or disciplinary action, and it remained unclear whether Mandelson would face parliamentary questioning or be removed from duties before the state visit.
The controversy has exposed tensions in Labour ranks over the handling of misconduct allegations and the political risks of senior appointments with past associations to disgraced figures. It has also renewed scrutiny of the extent and nature of Epstein's network of contacts, and whether those ties were adequately examined before Mandelson's appointment to a high-profile diplomatic role.