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Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party, expressing his desire to avoid causing further embarrassment due to his association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mandelson, a former cabinet minister, was dismissed from his position as the UK ambassador to the United States last year amid revelations about his connections to Epstein. His name re-emerged in the latest batch of documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
The newly disclosed paperwork indicates that Epstein made three payments of $25,000 each to Lord Mandelson during 2003 and 2004, totaling $75,000 (£55,000). In a letter to the Labour Party’s general secretary, Mandelson acknowledged the renewed controversy surrounding Epstein and expressed regret for the situation. He also stated that he is investigating allegations of financial payments to him, which he believes are false and for which he has no records or recollection. Mandelson explained that stepping down from the party was necessary to prevent further damage to Labour’s reputation while he looks into the claims.
Earlier on Sunday, Mandelson remarked that he was unsure whether the newly surfaced documents were authentic but reiterated his remorse “for ever having known Epstein” as well as for maintaining contact even after Epstein’s criminal conviction. He issued an unequivocal apology to the women and girls who were victimized. These developments prompted Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to call for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to suspend Mandelson’s membership and initiate an inquiry into his links with Epstein. Housing Secretary Steve Reed, meanwhile, stated that the government had no prior knowledge of Mandelson’s alleged financial dealings with Epstein.
Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to Washington came in December 2024 under Sir Keir’s leadership, but his tenure ended in September 2025 following further disclosures about his friendship with Epstein. Among the revelations were emails showing Mandelson sent supportive messages to Epstein after his 2008 conviction. In addition, previously unreleased photographs in the files depict Mandelson in his underwear next to a woman whose face is obscured; Mandelson said he cannot recall where or when these images were taken. The files also reveal that during his time as business secretary under Gordon Brown, Mandelson attempted to influence government policy on a proposed tax on bankers’ bonuses at Epstein’s request. He wrote in a 2009 email to Epstein expressing efforts to modify the policy despite resistance from the Treasury, though he maintains his discussions reflected the wider financial sector’s position, not Epstein’s alone.
Further scrutiny is focused on three payments detailed in Epstein’s bank statements from his JP Morgan accounts, which reference a “Peter Mandelson.” The initial payment in May 2003 was sent to a Barclays account linked to Mandelson’s partner at the time, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, while two subsequent $25,000 transfers in June 2004 went to HSBC accounts with Mandelson named as the beneficiary. It remains unclear if the funds were successfully deposited into the accounts concerned. Epstein’s 2008 conviction followed a plea deal in Florida, where he admitted to soliciting underage girls for prostitution and received an 18-month prison sentence
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