The UK government has pledged to disclose documents concerning the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the ambassador to the US, despite his connections to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was mired in controversy.
This decision follows the Conservative Party’s announcement of their intention to push for a parliamentary vote that would oblige the government to reveal records related to Mandelson’s appointment, as reported by The Associated Press. Critics argue that Mandelson’s association with Epstein was acknowledged at the time, though the full extent of their relationship has only recently come to light.
During a session on Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced intense questioning about the choice to appoint Mandelson.
“I am committed to ensuring that all relevant material is made public,” Starmer assured lawmakers. He clarified that the release would exclude documents that might jeopardize national security, international relations, or ongoing police investigations concerning Mandelson.
An undated photo circulated by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., shows Peter Mandelson alongside the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Epstein blows out candles on a cake. The image was released on December 19, 2025. (U.S. Justice Department/Handout via Reuters)
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, expressed skepticism regarding Starmer’s assurances, urging the government to disclose all pertinent documents rather than selectively releasing them based on the prime minister’s preferences. Badenoch further accused the government of attempting to obstruct the release with an amendment that would allow selective disclosure.
“The prime minister is talking about national security. The national security issue was appointing Mandelson in the first place,” Badenoch said.
Starmer said he knew Mandelson had maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 prison term but that the former ambassador had “misrepresented the extent” of the relationship and “lied throughout the process, including in response to the due diligence.”
“Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party. He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein, before and during his tenure as ambassador,” Starmer said in the House of Commons on Wednesday. “I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.”
In response to a request for comment, Starmer’s office referred Fox News Digital to the prime minister’s remarks in the House of Commons.
The prime minister added that he had instructed his team to write legislation that would strip Mandelson of his title.
Then-Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, speaks during a welcome reception for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the ambassador’s residence on Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Carl Court/Pool via Reuters)
Last week, the Justice Department released a trove of documents related to the Epstein case. Among them were emails between the disgraced financier and Mandelson.
The files appeared to show that in 2009, Mandelson passed an internal government report to Epstein and discussed lobbying for reduced taxes on bankers’ bonuses, the AP reported. Additionally, the files suggest that Epstein sent payments totaling $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson or his partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
Following the revelations in the newly released files, Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords on Sunday.
President Donald Trump met with British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2025. (Jim WATSON / AFP)
In September, Starmer fired Mandelson from the ambassadorship after a string of emails, released by The Sun newspaper, showed he maintained a friendship with Epstein even after the late financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor.
Following the fresh revelations about Mandelson, police in the U.K. opened an investigation into the former ambassador.
Peter Mandelson, the United Kingdom’s former ambassador to the United States, was fired from the role in September. (Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)
Metropolitan Police Cmdr. Ella Marriot in London said following the latest DOJ documents dump, the Met received “a number of reports” into alleged misconduct in public office, including a referral from the UK government.
“I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former Government Minister, for misconduct in public office offenses,” Marriot wrote in a statement.
The House of Lords declined to comment on the police investigation when asked by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
