Mandelson told UK minister he would ‘never regret’ pick
Peter Mandelson assured the UK government that he would “never regret” appointing him as ambassador to the US, according to newly released documents; This commitment was dramatically proven wrong within a few months.
In a 1,504-page document, the government released files on the appointment of Mandelson, a friend of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as envoy to Washington DC to fulfill a request from lawmakers at the beginning of US President Donald Trump’s second term.
They shed new light on the controversial decision and added to the embarrassment of beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Mandelson was fired nine months later and the fallout from the misjudged appointment left Starmer fighting for his job.
In a handwritten note to then-foreign secretary David Lammy on November 18, 2024, Mandelson writes: “I just wanted you to know that if you ever consider appointing me (as ambassador), I will make sure you will never regret it.”
“I fear that directing Britain’s interests through the Trump administration will require superhuman skills, luck and great teamwork,” Mandelson said.
His appointment was announced the following month.
The first files, released in March, revealed that ministers were warned that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein exposed the government to “reputation risk”.
It was later announced that Mandelson had been approved for ambassadorial duty despite the failure of security checks; It was a statement that led to a bitter exchange of accusations between Starmer and senior civil servants overseeing the vetting.
The files released on Monday shed light on discussions within the government regarding the appointment, but important details remain a mystery.
Some documents were redacted on national security grounds, and others were withheld at the request of police investigating Mandelson for alleged abuse of public office.
It remains unclear why Mandelson failed security checks.
The documents released did not include a summary of the review process as they were part of the police investigation.
Authorities said this was not due to his ties to Epstein.
A background report prepared by officials before Mandelson was appointed and released by the government in March flagged his business ties to Russia and China as concerning and noted that he had resigned from two previous Labor governments over money and ethics scandals.
Also missing is any record of what measures, if any, were taken to reduce the risk of Mandelson being given the job.
Documents released Monday state that Mandelson refused to hand over information from his personal phone to authorities and that the government “can no longer pursue recourse to search Peter Mandelson’s personal devices.”
Mandelson, 72, was briefly arrested in February by detectives investigating allegations that he passed sensitive government information to Epstein while he was a UK government minister fifteen years ago.
He was released without bail while the police investigation continued.
Starmer fired Mandelson in September 2025 after previously released documents showed the financier maintained contact with Epstein following his 2008 conviction for sexual offenses involving a minor.
Critics say Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson is evidence of poor judgment by a prime minister who has made repeated missteps since leading Labor to a landslide election victory in July 2024.
The documents include emails and text messages between Mandelson and government ministers and advisers; some of them discuss important matters of state, while others share gossip or unusual details.
At one point, Mandelson and other officials discussed commissioning a red shipping box marked “President of the United States”, similar to those used by UK government ministers, as a gift to Trump during his state visit to the United Kingdom in September 2025.
However, the delivery of the box was postponed due to political concerns and problems with the manufacturer.
Mandelson expressed disappointment with the blockage, saying authorities had been aware of this request for months.
“And no one had the intelligence to say anything,” Mandelson wrote to Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, on August 27.
“What incompetence.”
via Reuters
