James Roscoe, a senior career diplomat with long experience in the Foreign Office, has been appointed interim British ambassador to the United States after the withdrawal of Peter Mandelson following revelations about the peer’s correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Foreign Office said the emails involving Lord Mandelson showed "the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment," and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer moved to remove him with immediate effect. Lord Mandelson had previously defended his appointment and his role in maintaining relations with the White House.
Roscoe, 49, who until recently served as deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Washington, will lead the embassy as the United Kingdom prepares to host a planned state visit by the US president next week. A career official, he has held senior communications roles in the Royal Household and at No. 10 Downing Street and has represented the UK at the United Nations.
His diplomatic career has included postings to Freetown in Sierra Leone and Basra in Iraq, and responsibilities in areas such as sanctions and counter-terrorism. From 2013 to 2016 Roscoe was communications secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and earlier he served as chief press officer in the Prime Minister’s office under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown from 2006 to 2009. He was appointed deputy head of mission in Washington in July 2022 and was the UK's ambassador to the UN General Assembly in 2019.
Roscoe’s selection follows publication of emails that, according to the Foreign Office, provided new information about Lord Mandelson’s association with Epstein. Published reports quoted messages in which Lord Mandelson urged Epstein to "fight for early release" shortly before a 2008 sentence, and sent supportive messages during a period when Epstein was under investigation and later convicted in the United States. Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told lawmakers that the newly revealed material was not known at the time of Mandelson’s appointment.
The new ambassador’s appointment also drew attention because of a well-documented family health crisis. Roscoe’s wife, broadcaster and musician Clemency Burton-Hill, suffered a life-threatening brain haemorrhage in January 2020 resulting from an abnormal connection between arteries and veins in the brain. According to interviews and media coverage at the time, Burton-Hill experienced slurred speech during a meeting in New York before collapsing and spending 17 days in a coma.
Surgeons performed emergency procedures, including a cranioplasty to replace a portion of her skull, at Mount Sinai West Hospital in New York. Doctors said Burton-Hill was initially unable to see, speak or walk; she subsequently underwent extensive rehabilitation and relearned those abilities. Her emergency surgery and recovery were featured in a BBC Arena documentary, "My Brain: After the Rupture," and she has publicly acknowledged her husband’s support during her recovery.
Roscoe and Burton-Hill met in Sierra Leone in 2006 when he was posted at the British High Commission and she was traveling to report for The Spectator. They married in 2008 and have two sons. Burton-Hill, a Cambridge graduate and the daughter of former BBC arts chief Humphrey Burton, has worked as a presenter, musician and occasional actor.
Roscoe’s professional record includes a period in 2016 when a leaked email showed enthusiasm for a role advising the government on communications following the Brexit referendum. At that time Roscoe had been appointed to assist the then foreign secretary’s post-referendum communications unit; the email and related reporting prompted public discussion about the handling of communications around Brexit and the monarchy’s public statements.
The Foreign Office did not provide a timetable for how long Roscoe will serve as interim ambassador. Officials said his immediate priorities will include managing the embassy’s day-to-day responsibilities in Washington and ensuring continuity of UK-US diplomatic engagement during the forthcoming state visit. Parliamentarians and diplomats will be watching how the embassy handles the transition and the broader diplomatic relationship with the United States.
Labour and Conservative figures had previously defended or criticised Lord Mandelson’s appointment on differing grounds; the emergence of the emails prompted the government to reassess the situation. Downing Street declined further comment beyond confirming the replacement and the reasons cited by the Foreign Office.
Roscoe’s appointment underscores the reliance on seasoned career diplomats to fill senior roles at short notice when political appointees step down. His experience across government communications, multilateral diplomacy and postings in fragile environments positions him to manage embassy operations in a high-profile period for UK-US relations.
The Foreign Office said it remained focused on maintaining strong relations with the United States and ensuring the safety and security of diplomatic staff and activities in Washington. Sir Keir Starmer’s government faces continuing scrutiny over vetting and appointment processes for high-profile diplomatic postings following the Mandelson episode.