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Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Lord Peter Mandelson, is set to enter administration this Friday, according to confirmation from the company. This decision follows reports that key clients severed ties with the firm amid revelations of links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. These events have led to a severe loss of business and ultimately made the administration process unavoidable.
Lord Mandelson stepped down from Global Counsel’s board in 2024 but retained his shareholder status until earlier this month. His fellow founder, Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, resigned from his chief executive role on 6 February. Insiders close to the company emphasize that the current difficulties are solely due to the legacy left by Lord Mandelson, and not the result of any wrongdoing by other employees.
The firm has issued warnings that once the administrators take control, a “significant number of redundancies” will occur. Established after Labour’s defeat in the 2010 general election by Mandelson and Wegg-Prosser, Global Counsel had grown into a powerful lobbying organization, representing major clients such as Shell, TikTok, and Barclays. It employed over 100 staff across offices located in Berlin, Brussels, Singapore, Washington DC, and Doha.
The future of Global Counsel was cast into doubt following the emergence of documents from the Epstein files, which highlighted Lord Mandelson’s association with the disgraced financier. While the company noted that many clients have remained loyal, the overwhelming “political and media attention surrounding Peter Mandelson” has made continuing operations in the current format untenable. The administrators have indicated that if any client services persist, they will be on a very limited basis. Notably, the same files also referenced a 2010 meeting between Wegg-Prosser and Epstein, which occurred two years after Epstein’s conviction for soliciting prostitution involving a minor. Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Renowned as a principal architect of New Labour, Lord Mandelson played a significant role in Tony Blair’s government following their 1997 election victory. Throughout his career, he held various ministerial positions under Blair and Gordon Brown, and served as European commissioner for trade from 2004 to 2008. In December 2024, he was appointed ambassador to the US, but this appointment ended in September after his Epstein connections were brought to light. Recent developments also include police searches of two properties linked to Mandelson amid allegations of misconduct in public office. Lord Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment, though sources indicate his stance is that he has not engaged in any criminal activity nor acted out of financial motivation
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