The United Kingdom has withdrawn Peter Mandelson as its ambassador to the United States after newly uncovered emails revealed a closer relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than officials had known at the time of his appointment.
A Foreign Office statement said the messages 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." The statement added that Mandelson's suggestion that Epstein's first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged constituted new information and that, "mindful of the victims of Epstein's crimes he has been withdrawn as Ambassador with immediate effect."
The exchanges, which reportedly span from 2005 to 2010 and include more than 100 messages between Mandelson and Epstein, feature expressions of personal support while Epstein was facing legal trouble. In one message cited by officials, Mandelson wrote, "Your friends stay with you and love you." In another, he said he could "still barely understand it" and urged Epstein to be "incredibly resilient, fight for early release, and be philosophical about it as much as you can." Mandelson's name also appears in a newly released Epstein "birthday book," in which he referred to Epstein as "my best pal."
Stephen Doughty, Minister of State for Europe and North America, announced the removal in the House of Commons Thursday, saying the decision followed the discovery of the additional emails. The Foreign Office did not say how the emails were newly revealed or when they were reviewed by ministers.
Mandelson, a Labour peer and former cabinet minister, had previously expressed regret for his association with Epstein. He told the Financial Times he regretted ever meeting Epstein and being introduced to him by Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted for her role in conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer initially defended Mandelson earlier in the week, saying the ambassador "has repeatedly expressed his deep regret for his association with him. I have confidence in him and he's playing an important role in the U.K.-U.S. relationship." Conservative Party lawmaker Kemi Badenoch called the communications "sickening" and demanded Mandelson's dismissal. After Mandelson's removal, Badenoch said Starmer had "failed yet another key test of leadership" and accused him of giving "his full backing to a man unfit for office."
Mandelson also told The Sun this week that he felt a "tremendous sense of regret" for meeting Epstein and for continuing the association, saying he had taken at face value "the lies that he fed me and many others." Officials did not release the full text of the emails, and timing of the messages relative to Epstein's legal proceedings has been summarized by the Foreign Office statement.
The revelations come as renewed calls grow for the release of fuller records related to Epstein, whose circle included prominent figures across politics, business and entertainment. U.S. congressional efforts to obtain more documents have been publicly debated; the White House has denied that President Donald Trump wrote a birthday note to Epstein that appears in the so-called "birthday book," while stopping short of calling the documents fraudulent.
The Foreign Office said it had asked the relevant minister to withdraw Mandelson from his post immediately. A spokesperson for the House of Lords and the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., were contacted for comment. The government did not provide details on who would serve as chargé d'affaires or the timeline for naming Mandelson's successor.
The withdrawal represents a significant reversal for the Labour government, which had placed Mandelson in a key diplomatic role in the U.S. He is a high-profile figure in British politics, having served in senior roles in previous Labour administrations. Officials said the decision was taken in light of the new material and with consideration for the victims of Epstein's crimes.