Peter Mandelson, the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, was dismissed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on September 11, 2025, due to new revelations about the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The UK Foreign Office announced the sacking:
“In the light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as Ambassador.”
There is no doubt that Lord Mandelson knew Jeffrey Epstein; however, new documents and emails have been made public that show their friendship was much closer and more extensive than previously admitted.
The new information includes a “birthday book” for Epstein from 2003, in which Mandelson wrote a message calling him his “best pal.”
“But, wherever he is in the world, he remains my best pal!”
Emails from 2008, after Epstein had been convicted for soliciting a minor, show Mandelson continued to show support and friendship. He even suggested that Epstein’s conviction was “wrongful.”
The foreign office said, “The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment. In particular Peter Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information.”
Initially, Prime Minister Starmer had stood by Mandelson, saying he had confidence in him. However, the new details made it impossible to defend him.
The public pressure, combined with the disturbing nature of the emails, led Starmer to sack him. The move comes right before a state visit by Donald Trump, who also has a past connection to Epstein.
Keir Starmer became PM after a landslide victory of the Labour Party, ending fourteen years of Conservative rule.