Mandelson files: All the key takeaways from bombshell documents
The government has released the first set of documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, months after the disgraced politician was forced to step down when the full extent of his relationship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed.
The dossier, which shows the Prime Minister was given clear warnings about Mandelson’s links to Epstein, will put further pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, who faces mounting questions over his decision to appoint the Labor ambassador to such a sensitive diplomatic role.
The disclosures, published as a nearly 150-page PDF on the government’s website, come after MPs last month ordered the government to release tens of thousands of documents related to the 2024 appointment following questions about how precedent was reviewed.
From warnings about the “reputation risk” posed by Lord Mandelson’s appointment to a £75,000 taxpayer-funded payout, here’s everything you need to know from the first release of the documents.
Starmer publicly warns about Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with Epstein
The documents reveal that the prime minister was warned in no uncertain terms about Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with Epstein, including reports that his peer was staying at the pedophile’s home while in prison.
The Prime Minister had been warned in a due diligence report that the appointment of Lord Mandelson was a “general reputational risk” due to his relationship with Epstein.
The December 2024 report’s section titled “Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein” said: “Following Epstein’s first conviction for procuring an underage girl in 2008, their relationship continued between 2009 and 2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was business secretary and continuing after the end of the Labor government.”
“Mandelson reportedly stayed at Epstein’s home in June 2009 while he was in jail.”
But the prime minister’s principal secretary, Darren Jones, told MPs that the due diligence report on Lord Mandelson “does not reveal the depth and extent” of his relationship with Epstein.
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Mandelson paid £75,000 – but wanted more than £500,000
Documents reveal Lord Mandelson was given a taxpayer-funded payment of £75,000 after he was sacked as Britain’s ambassador to the US.
But the files also show that his colleague demanded payment of his full contract – totaling more than £500,000 – in severance negotiations.
Mr Jones told MPs his disgraced friend’s demand for more than £500,000 – more than six times the final amount – was “inappropriate and unacceptable”.
Officers’ concerns expressed over ‘strangely rushed’ appointment
Senior officials have expressed concern about Lord Mandelson’s appointment, including national security adviser Jonathan Powell, who said he found the appointment process “unusual” and “oddly rushed,” according to a Sept. 12 call recording.
The memo also said Mr Powell had “raised concerns about the person and reputation” to Sir Keir’s then chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, but Mr McSweeney “responded that the issues were being addressed”.
The note also stated that Philip Barton, then permanent undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “had reservations about the appointment.”
PM’s communications director admits Mandelson is ‘personal friend’
Sir Keir’s then communications director appears to have defended Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador; He later admitted that the politician was a “personal friend”.
A briefing note sent to the prime minister by civil servants investigating Mandelson’s suitability for office reveals they plan to brief Sir Keir personally about his relationship with Epstein.
But they noted that Matthew Doyle said he was “delighted” with the Labor leader’s “answers to questions about contact” with the pedophile.
“We requested due diligence… and your private secretary [Morgan McSweeney] We discussed Peter’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein with you, but your communications director [Matthew Doyle] The note stated that he was satisfied with his answers to questions about the contact.
Following Mandelson’s sacking in September last year, an investigation into the appointment by the Prime Minister’s general counsel found that in a telephone conversation with Lord Doyle, he described the disgraced leader of the Labor Party as a “personal friend”.
Doyle was made a peer after resigning as communications director and was recently suspended from the Labor Party over separate questions about his own suitability.
Clinton and Mandelson set up meeting between Blair and Epstein
The files reveal that Bill Clinton and Peter Mandelson arranged a meeting between then-prime minister Tony Blair and Epstein, with the former US ambassador describing the financier as both “young, vibrant” and “safe”.
In a 2002 email to national security adviser Jonathan Powell, Lord Mandelson said: “Remember when Clinton saw TB? [Tony Blair] Did he say he wanted to introduce his traveling companion, Jeffrey Epstein, to tuberculosis?”
The email continues: “I think TB would be interested in meeting Jeffrey, who is also my friend, because Jeffrey is a [sic] a scientific catalyst/entrepreneur as well as someone who keeps his finger on the pulse of many markets and currencies around the world. He is young and energetic.
“He is safe (whatever that means) and Clinton is doing a lot of traveling with him now.”
Mr Blair continued to meet with Epstein at 5pm on 14 May 2002.
Following the revelations, the former prime minister reissued a statement saying it was a one-off contact with the convicted pedophile and took place long before his crimes became known.
A spokesman said: “As far as he can remember, Mr Blair met him for less than 30 minutes in Downing Street in May 2002 and discussed US and UK politics.
“He never met or spoke to her afterwards. This was, of course, long before his crimes were discovered and he was subsequently convicted.”
Mandelson sacked after reports showing ‘depth and scope’ of Epstein connections
Sir Keir decided to sack Lord Mandelson after he published emails. Bloomberg In 2024, he “revealed the depth and scope of a relationship with Epstein of which he was previously unaware when he decided to appoint Mandelson,” according to a No. 10 private office recording of the September 11 meeting.
“On this basis he offered to ask Mandelson to resign from his post at HMA Washington.”
The note stated that Olly Robbins, permanent undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, later “talked to Mandelson by phone towards the end of the meeting and informed him about the prime minister’s decision and the next steps”, adding that “the palace was informed about the decision during the meeting”.
