U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has fired the country’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, following the release of emails showing his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The move was announced in the House of Commons on Thursday by Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty, who said newly revealed correspondence showed the “depth and extent” of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was “materially different” from what had been disclosed when he was appointed to Washington last year.
Mandelson began serving as ambassador in February after what the government had described as a thorough vetting process. He has since expressed regret over his links to Epstein, insisting he was unaware of his crimes.
“In light of the additional information in the emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador to the United States,” Doughty told Parliament.
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The emails, published by The Sun on Wednesday, included Mandelson urging Epstein to “fight for early release” ahead of his 18-month sentence in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, AP reported. He also suggested the conviction was “wrongful and should be challenged,” and signed off one message with, “I think the world of you.”
The dismissal marks another political setback for Starmer just days before U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in London for a state visit that is already expected to draw protests. It also follows the resignation of Starmer’s deputy, Angela Rayner, over a tax issue tied to a property purchase.
James Roscoe, the deputy head of mission in Washington and a seasoned diplomat who once served as communications secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, has been named interim ambassador and will oversee Trump’s visit.
Mandelson’s appointment had raised questions from the start. It is unusual for a politician rather than a career civil servant to take such a senior diplomatic role. His controversial past includes two resignations from Tony Blair’s government, a stint as a European Commissioner, and a return to frontline politics under Gordon Brown. Known for his political cunning, critics long branded him the “Prince of Darkness.”
Despite his history, Mandelson was seen as an asset on trade, credited with helping secure a May trade deal with the Trump administration that eased tariff threats. His earlier description of Trump as a “danger to the world,” which he later called “ill-judged and wrong,” underscored the unease around his suitability for the role.
Pressure intensified this week when Democrats on the U.S. House Oversight Committee released a 2003 birthday album made for Epstein. Mandelson had written in the album, calling the disgraced financier “my best pal.” Other names tied to the album included Trump, Bill Clinton, and Alan Dershowitz, alongside sexually suggestive messages compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell.
READ ALSO: “He stole people who worked for me” – Trump explains why he cut ties with Epstein
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, more than a decade after his initial conviction.
