The Conservative Party has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer demanding the release of government documents and answers about what Downing Street knew of Lord Mandelson’s links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him to a diplomatic role.
In a letter to the prime minister, Conservative MP Alex Burghart asked for what he termed the "Mandelson-Epstein Files" — government correspondence and internal documents relating to the pair — and for Sir Keir and his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, to give evidence to Parliament. Burghart questioned what and when the prime minister knew about Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein and said Starmer had "ignored warnings" and showed "appalling judgement" in defending the former ambassador during Prime Minister's Questions last week.
The call for disclosure follows reporting that a cache of emails, published by Bloomberg and cited in BBC coverage, showed supportive messages sent by Lord Mandelson after Epstein pleaded guilty to sex offences. The BBC also reported that Sir Keir explicitly asked Mandelson about his links to Epstein before deciding to appoint him ambassador to the United States. Mandelson was sacked last week after the email revelations became public.
Downing Street has maintained that the prime minister only learned of the contents of those emails on Wednesday evening and acted swiftly to remove Mandelson within hours. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said over the weekend that Starmer had "very serious questions to answer" and accused him of lying to the public.
The controversy has intensified scrutiny of the vetting process for Mandelson’s appointment and of how much the prime minister’s office knew at each stage. Labour MP Helen Hayes, speaking on BBC Radio 4's The Westminster Hour, said she was "devastated" by the revelations and argued Mandelson should not have been appointed. Hayes said questions would be asked about Starmer’s leadership if the scandal affected the party’s performance in next year’s local elections, but added that such questions should come after those results were known.
Lord Mandelson has repeatedly expressed regret about his relationship with Epstein. Epstein, who was convicted in the United States and died in a US jail in 2019, was at the centre of international scrutiny over allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking.
The Conservatives’ letter requests the release of documents related to Mandelson’s appointment and Downing Street’s handling of the matter, and it seeks parliamentary testimony from the prime minister and his chief of staff. Downing Street has so far declined to publish internal correspondence, saying the prime minister acted quickly once he became aware of the emails.
The episode comes shortly after other upheaval in the Labour frontbench, including the resignation of Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, and has prompted debate within the party about vetting, transparency and leadership accountability. Labour officials have so far limited public criticism, while some backbench MPs have expressed concern about the political fallout.
The Conservatives said the release of the requested files is necessary to establish a full and transparent timeline of events and to determine whether proper procedures were followed during Mandelson’s appointment and subsequent dismissal. Downing Street’s account that it acted only after the email contents emerged remains central to the government’s defence.
No date has been set for a response to the Conservatives’ letter, and it remains unclear whether Sir Keir or McSweeney will be summoned to give oral evidence to parliamentary committees. Parliament will now face decisions about whether to press for the documents and how to pursue any inquiry into the handling of the Mandelson appointment.