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Clever Mandelson Caught in the Glare of the Epstein Scandal
For three decades, Peter Mandelson was one of the most influential and prominent figures in British politics. Twice before he had survived scandals that forced him out of government—only to return stronger. But this time, his close ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have cost him his position.
Appointed less than nine months ago as Britain’s top diplomat in Washington, a role he assumed with hopes of smoothing relations under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership, Mandelson was removed from office on Thursday after emails were revealed that exposed the depth of his relationship with Epstein.
“I think you and I are both utterly disappointed and angry at what has happened,” Mandelson wrote in a 2008 email to Epstein shortly before Epstein pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting minors for prostitution. Yet, Mandelson’s political career did not end there for long.
In 2004, his friend and then-Prime Minister Tony Blair capitalized on Mandelson’s charm and skills by appointing him as Europe’s Trade Commissioner, helping to mend relations strained by Britain’s invasion of Iraq the previous year.
He held the role for four years before being elevated to the House of Lords as Lord Mandelson for life in 2008. He returned to government as Business Secretary and held that post until Labour’s electoral defeat two years later.
Despite being feared and disliked by some within the Labour Party, Starmer entrusted him with the ambassadorial role in Washington, making him the first political figure to hold the post in nearly fifty years—an acknowledgment of his unmatched diplomatic skills and expertise in trade.
Friendships with the Wealthy and Powerful
In a February interview with the Financial Times, Mandelson said, “Some of the people around Mr. Trump see me the way many in Europe do—as a left-leaning progressive, perhaps even anti-business, or as someone aligned with the liberalism they’ve recently defeated in America.”
“They will soon realize that I’m no radical liberal, I’m not some woke-obsessed type, and I am pro-market and pro-trade.”
Yet, as throughout his career, friendships with the rich and famous once again contributed to his downfall.
Questions arose after Epstein’s sentencing, and when asked by the Financial Times about his relationship with the financier, Mandelson was candid.
“I regret meeting him, or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell. I regret even more the pain he caused so many young women.”
“I won’t say much more. It’s the Financial Times’ obsession and frankly, you all need to be quiet. Okay?”
But this week’s revelations—including his description of Epstein’s conviction as “unfair”—made it clear that his involvement was far from trivial.
“I deeply regret falling for his lies, I fell, and I trusted his reassurances about the indictment,” Mandelson said on Wednesday.
“Looking back after many years and with new information, we realize it was a mistake to trust him… I genuinely regret it. Ever since his death, it’s felt like a weight around my neck,” he added.
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“You’re with friends who live with you and love you,” he wrote in one of the emails seen by the British media.
Even scandals that others might have overlooked could not spare him from the fallout of Epstein’s revelations.
“A former Labour MP, spin doctor, and ‘Prince of Darkness’ who twice resigned due to political scandals—but his ties to Jeffrey Epstein are the final straw,” The Times wrote on X.
Mandelson Helped Blair Rise to Power
Now 71, Mandelson first emerged as a key figure in the 1990s, helping to restore Labour’s credibility and then propel his close friend Tony Blair to power in 1997, a sweeping victory widely credited to him.
He was also the driving force behind London’s Millennium Dome—a £750 million ($1.02 billion) project built to mark the turn of the century, notorious for its mismanagement and derided as a tourist white elephant, now transformed into the O2 concert arena.
For his supporters, Mandelson was a master strategist with unparalleled presentation skills. But his ruthless dealings with the press and behind-the-scenes maneuvering bred fear, distrust, and hostility—even within Labour’s own ranks.
In 1998, amid conflict-of-interest questions, he resigned as Business Secretary after revelations that he had received a loan from a fellow minister to buy a home in a fashionable West London neighborhood.
Less than 10 months later, he made one of the quickest political comebacks in modern British history, returning as Northern Ireland Secretary to oversee the implementation of a key peace agreement.
However, his second tenure lasted only until early 2001, when he resigned again—this time over alleged involvement in a passport scandal connected to Indian billionaire brothers the Hinduja, who had pledged funding for the Millennium Dome. He was later cleared of wrongdoing.
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