Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended Peter Mandelson at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday despite, it was reported, ministers being alerted to emails between the former cabinet minister and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before the Commons exchange. The Foreign Office is said to have passed details of the messages to Downing Street early on Tuesday; Mandelson was removed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States on Thursday after the emails were made public.
The sudden resignation and the report that No 10 had received the material prompted a fierce backlash within the parliamentary Labour party and among opposition politicians. The row centred on how quickly officials acted, who in Downing Street knew what and when, and on the judgement of senior aides who recommended Mandelson’s appointment.
Reports said the emails, which were first revealed by Bloomberg, included passages in which Mandelson urged Epstein to "fight for early release" and wrote "I think the world of you" on the eve of Epstein beginning a sentence in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Allies of Mandelson told The Times that, in a vetting interview, he acknowledged maintaining a relationship with Epstein for many years. The friendship had been known in some circles prior to the ambassadorial appointment, but the newly public messages prompted swift action.
Downing Street confirmed the decision to sack Mandelson but declined to comment in detail on the timeline of who saw the emails before PMQs. A No 10 spokesman said the prime minister had "confidence in his top team" and that ministers were continuing with government work.
The episode has sharpened existing tensions inside Labour. Backbench MPs publicly and privately criticised the prime minister and his senior adviser, Morgan McSweeney, who some MPs blamed for championing Mandelson’s posting and attempting to shield him after the messages emerged. One MP, quoted in national reports, called for McSweeney’s resignation and said the episode had left the parliamentary party "febrile." Clive Lewis, a Labour backbencher, said on the BBC that Starmer was "not up to the job" and had lost control of his party.
Other senior figures urged restraint while investigations into what was known and when continue. Lord Blunkett, a Labour grandee, told BBC Radio 4 that Starmer needed to heed more experienced advisers. The Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, who is on an overseas visit to Kyiv, said she had been part of the decision to sack Mandelson and that it had been "rightly taken." Cooper did not elaborate on internal discussions.
Opposition politicians seized on the situation. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer had shown poor judgement in appointing Mandelson and described the prime minister as "in office, but not in power." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the government had ignored warnings and been slow to act. Those comments followed intense coverage in the media and on social platforms about the timing of the disclosures and whether senior figures in No 10 were fully informed before PMQs.
Mandelson’s departure is expected to be handled through internal settlement procedures. Reports said he has not resigned and remains on the government payroll while a settlement is negotiated, raising the prospect of a taxpayer-funded payout if a negotiated exit is reached. Government officials declined to comment on financial arrangements.
The sacking comes days after Angela Rayner’s resignation and marks two high-profile departures in less than a week, adding to a perception among some MPs that the second phase of the government has begun in turmoil. The controversy also arrives shortly before a planned state visit to the UK by former US President Donald Trump, a diplomatic calendar event sources said could be overshadowed by the domestic furore.
Labour sources have offered differing accounts of how Mandelson came to be appointed and who recommended him. Some senior party figures privately blamed Starmer for outsourcing important personnel decisions to close aides; others pointed the finger at McSweeney, saying he had pushed Mandelson’s candidacy. One source suggested the focus on McSweeney was "Sue Gray’s revenge" after her departure from No 10, a claim denied by other senior officials.
Mandelson is a former Labour cabinet minister and a central architect of New Labour. His name has long been associated with the party’s modernising wing. The emails and images that prompted his dismissal have renewed scrutiny of long-standing relationships between public figures and Jeffrey Epstein, whose dealings with a circle of wealthy and influential people have been the subject of prolonged investigation and public interest.
Downing Street and the Foreign Office said appropriate processes were being followed. Labour MPs called for rapid clarity about timelines and decision-making, while opposition leaders said the episode illustrated a lack of control at the top of government. The fallout looks set to continue as MPs press for answers about who was told what and when, and as officials finalise arrangements for Mandelson’s departure from his diplomatic post.