Lord Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the United States, is facing growing calls to resign after reports said he worked with Jeffrey Epstein on a deal to sell a taxpayer-owned banking business to JPMorgan just months after Epstein’s release from jail.
British media reports, citing emails seen by The Telegraph and documents released by the US House Oversight Committee, say Epstein introduced Mandelson to then-JPMorgan banker Jes Staley and took a role in arranging meetings that preceded a roughly £1 billion purchase in 2010 of an energy trading arm that had links to the Royal Bank of Scotland. The reports say Epstein referred to Mandelson affectionately as "petie" in messages and asked Staley after a meeting in Davos whether "petie" had been helpful; two weeks later the deal was announced.
The material published by the House Oversight Committee includes a ten-page birthday album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former associate, in which Mandelson praised Epstein and called him his "best pal." Photographs in the file appear to show Mandelson on Epstein’s Little St James island and wearing a bathrobe at the financier’s Caribbean property. The Daily Mail reported that Epstein’s former housekeeper said Mandelson visited the island in 2002 with his husband.
Victims of Epstein’s abuse and opposition politicians have demanded Mandelson’s removal, saying the revelations make him unsuitable to serve as ambassador. Sarah Ransome, one of Epstein’s British victims, was quoted as saying Mandelson should be sacked and questioned whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer was aware of the relationship when he appointed Mandelson in February 2025. Tory MPs have called for a full investigation into Mandelson’s links with Epstein and whether the financier profited from the sale of the RBS unit, which was partly owned by the taxpayer.
Court documents and the emails reported by British outlets say Epstein arranged at least two meetings between Mandelson and Staley, in Davos and New York. Jes Staley has since been barred from senior positions in the City of London over his ties to Epstein. JPMorgan and Lord Mandelson declined to comment when approached by the Daily Mail; the banking group has previously said it took action after reviewing the relationship between Staley and Epstein.
Mandelson, a former Labour cabinet minister and influential party figure, has previously acknowledged regret about his friendship with Epstein. When questioned by the Financial Times earlier this year about the relationship, he responded angrily and later said he regretted "even more the hurt" Epstein had caused to young women. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in the United States of sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The documents released by US lawmakers form part of ongoing scrutiny of Epstein’s network of associates and the extent to which he maintained influence after his conviction. The revelations add to political pressure in London over Mandelson’s diplomatic role and could prompt formal inquiries into the meetings and the wider sale. Parliamentarians and victims’ groups said they expected answers, while officials have not announced any immediate probe into the ambassador’s conduct beyond calls for investigation.
The reports come amid heightened attention to ties between public figures and Epstein after the publication of previously unseen materials by US investigators. Any inquiry into the sale of the RBS energy trading arm would involve examination of corporate and government records from 2010, and officials have said investigations of that period are complex and could take time to complete.