Newly reported emails between Lord Mandelson and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein have prompted sharp scrutiny across Westminster, with the ambassador saying he regrets having been deceived by Epstein and politicians from both main parties pressing for answers about what was known before his appointment.
Downing Street has defended its decision to appoint Lord Mandelson, saying that "due process" was followed, but the revelations have intensified questions about how much advisers and ministers knew of the extent of his relationship with Epstein and whether enough scrutiny was applied before the naming. The BBC's political editor Chris Mason said the disclosures had left many in Westminster "astonished".
Bloomberg and tabloid reporting say they have obtained more than 100 emails exchanged between Lord Mandelson and Epstein between 2005 and 2010. One message, reported by several outlets, was sent by Lord Mandelson in 2008 as Epstein faced imprisonment on charges that included soliciting prostitution from someone under 18. The email was quoted as reading, "Fight for early release," and adding, "your friends stay with you and love you." Lord Mandelson has not denied the messages, and in a statement to the BBC he said: "I relied on assurances of his innocence that turned out later to be horrendously false."
The ambassador's on-camera interview with The Sun included an acknowledgement that more revelations might still emerge. Bloomberg is reported to have approached Lord Mandelson with the material before the Sun interview, giving him an opportunity to comment on the emails it says it obtained.
The disclosures were raised at Prime Minister's Questions, where Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch asked whether it was "tenable" for Lord Mandelson to remain in his diplomatic role. The reaction within Labour has also been fractious. Several Labour figures have publicly called for Lord Mandelson to resign, including Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a candidate in the party's deputy leadership contest, and former shadow cabinet minister Andy McDonald. One Labour MP told the BBC they were "angry" about the prime minister's defence of Lord Mandelson, saying it called the leader's judgment into question.
Conservative backbenchers have tabled a series of parliamentary questions seeking details about who knew what and when, and whether Downing Street was fully briefed on the new material prior to the appointment. Downing Street has reiterated that it has "full confidence" in Lord Mandelson and that checks were carried out before his appointment.
Lord Mandelson's ties to Epstein have been publicly known for some time, but the publication of private correspondence has sharpened political scrutiny. The episode has placed the focus on the prime minister's office and its assessment of reputational risk before appointing a figure with a well-known connection to Epstein to a prominent diplomatic post.
Officials have so far declined to say whether they were surprised by the latest revelations or whether they expect further disclosures. Parliamentarians from both parties said they would continue to press for more detail. As commentators and MPs await the full disclosure of the messages Bloomberg and others say they hold, the controversy looks set to remain a live issue in Westminster in the coming days.