Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had confidence in Lord Peter Mandelson on Wednesday despite the release by US lawmakers of pages from a photobook in which the former cabinet minister appears to describe Jeffrey Epstein as his “best pal” and photographs that appear to show him on Epstein’s private island.

The disclosure prompted sustained questioning of the prime minister at Prime Minister’s Questions, where Starmer said the victims of Epstein were “at the forefront of our minds” and that Mandelson had “repeatedly expressed his deep regret” for the association. Mandelson has acknowledged there are “more very embarrassing” details still to surface and has apologised for continuing the relationship for too long.

Democratic members of the US Congress published a 10-page handwritten greeting that they said was part of a 238-page photobook compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003 by Ghislaine Maxwell. The pages include handwritten tributes, holiday photographs reportedly taken on Little St James – the US Virgin Islands property later linked in lawsuits to trafficking and abuse – and a page in which Mandelson appears to write “Wherever he is in the world, he remains my best pal!”

Mandelson, who was appointed Britain’s ambassador to the United States by Starmer earlier this year, told a podcast he was “very embarrassed” and said he regretted ever having met Epstein. He said he had taken Epstein’s assurances at face value at the time and accepted that he had “continued the association with him for too long.” He added he expected further exchanges of correspondence and emails to surface in coming days.

At PMQs, Tory deputy leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey pressed the prime minister on what he knew about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein when he approved the appointment and whether documents relating to the vetting process would be published. Starmer said “full due process was followed” in the appointment and that candidates for ambassadorial posts are subject to extensive vetting by the Foreign Office and Cabinet Office.

Downing Street repeated that position outside the Commons. A government spokesman said the victims of Epstein remained a priority and that Mandelson had addressed his association with Epstein on multiple occasions.

Critics, including victims’ campaigners and lawyers who represented Epstein’s alleged victims, said the revelations raised questions about Mandelson’s suitability for the Washington post. Sarah Ransome, who has described herself as a former victim, said Mandelson should be removed. Spencer Kuvin, a US lawyer who represented several alleged victims, said the ambassador should be questioned by US and UK authorities to determine what he knew.

British and US scrutiny has focused not only on the photobook pages but also on emails and other material reported to show Mandelson sought or accepted business advice from Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction. According to released material, Epstein introduced Mandelson to bankers involved in the 2010 sale of an RBS energy trading arm to JP Morgan; that transaction drew attention because Jes Staley, then a senior JP Morgan banker, later faced sanctions over his own ties to Epstein.

There is no suggestion in the released material that Mandelson was aware of Epstein’s crimes at the time of the 2002 photographs. Epstein was convicted in 2008 of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution and died in 2019. Ghislaine Maxwell, who compiled the photobook, was convicted of recruiting and grooming young women for Epstein and is serving a lengthy prison sentence.

Mandelson, 71, will have a prominent role in the state visit to the United Kingdom by US President Donald Trump scheduled for September 17–19. He is due to be a VIP guest and expected to help manage aspects of the UK–US relationship around the visit. Opposition MPs and some campaigners said that role should be reconsidered in light of the newly released material.

Labour MPs in the Commons largely remained silent during the exchanges on Wednesday. Starmer told the House he accepted the ambassador’s expressions of regret and that Mandelson was playing “an important role in the UK–US relationship.” He declined to say whether any vetting documents would be published and resisted calls from the opposition to require Mandelson to publish all correspondence with Epstein.

The photobook pages were among documents and images Democrats released this week; the collection includes lewd sketches and messages attributed to a number of public figures. The White House and some individuals named in the photobook have disputed the authenticity of particular entries.

Foreign Office and embassy officials in Washington were asked for comment on the disclosures. The British embassy and Mandelson’s office did not provide further detail beyond Mandelson’s public statements acknowledging regret and the government’s assertion that a robust vetting process was followed.

The episode has renewed debate about how public offices should assess past personal relationships when appointing senior diplomats and about transparency around the vetting process. It also underscores the ongoing international fallout from the Epstein case, which continues to produce legal and political reverberations years after his conviction and death.