Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sacked Peter Mandelson from his role as the UK’s Ambassador to the United States after new revelations disclosed a closer-than-known connection between Mandelson and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The dismissal comes after emails surfaced showing Mandelson had argued that Epstein’s 2008 conviction was wrongful and even encouraged him to fight for early release—details not disclosed at the time of Mandelson’s appointment.
Mandelson, a veteran Labour figure previously instrumental under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, was appointed ambassador in February 2025 after a rigorous vetting process. He quickly came under scrutiny following publication of a birthday-book note from 2003 in which he described Epstein as “my best pal,” and later emails during Epstein’s convicted period encouraging him to challenge the legal findings.
Despite initially receiving public support from Starmer, including expressions of confidence in Mandelson’s regret over the association, mounting political pressure made the ambassador’s position untenable. Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty later stated that the newly revealed emails fundamentally altered the understanding of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, leading to his immediate dismissal.