LONDON — In a dramatic move just days before a state visit from U.S. President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has fired Peter Mandelson, the U.K.’s ambassador to the United States, after newly uncovered emails revealed a much closer relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than previously disclosed.
Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty told Parliament that Mandelson’s messages to Epstein in the 2000s — including one urging him to “fight for early release” from prison and calling his conviction “wrongful” — fundamentally changed the government’s view of his suitability for the role. Mandelson, who took up the prestigious post in February, expressed “deep regret” over his past ties but insisted he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes.
The revelations, first published by The Sun newspaper, come at a politically sensitive moment for Starmer, who had publicly expressed confidence in Mandelson just a day earlier. The firing follows the recent resignation of Deputy PM Angela Rayner over a tax controversy, intensifying questions over Starmer’s judgment and political management.
James Roscoe, deputy head of mission in Washington and a seasoned diplomat, has been appointed interim ambassador and will oversee Trump’s visit next week.
Mandelson, once considered a key figure in protecting British trade interests during tense negotiations with Washington, is no stranger to scandal, having twice resigned from Tony Blair’s cabinet before serving as a European Commissioner and later returning to Gordon Brown’s government. His ouster marks a dramatic fall for a man once dubbed Labour’s “Prince of Darkness” and one of the party’s most skilled power brokers.