Starmer dismisses British ambassador to Washington over links to pedophile Epstein

"The emails [now revealed] show that Mandelson's relationship with Epstein is considerably different from what is known," the Foreign Office explains. The dismissal comes the week before Trump's visit to the United Kingdom.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today dismissed the United Kingdom's ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson , over his links to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein . Lord Mandelson's situation became untenable after the US House of Representatives published a book given to Epstein by several of his friends for his 50th birthday in 2003. Ten pages were written by Mandelson, who described the pedophile as his "best friend" in a handwritten text.

The British Foreign Office explained in a statement that the decision was made "in light of additional information" emerging from several emails sent by the current ambassador to the US. "They show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is significantly different from what was known at the time of his appointment," the statement added.

"In particular, Peter Mandelson's suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein's initial conviction was unfair and should be appealed is new," the Foreign Office continues. The leaked texts show that Mandelson maintained contact with and encouraged Epstein while he was facing child abuse charges and even after he had been convicted.

Mandelson's departure is significant for at least four reasons. The first is the obvious one: his relationship with a tycoon and sex offender who had close ties to numerous politicians and businessmen ( Epstein committed suicide in prison in 2019 ).

The second is the role played by the current ambassador, one of the most highly regarded British diplomats in building bridges between a Labour-led Britain and Trump's United States. Months ago, relations between the two countries became tense.

The third has an internal interpretation: it comes a week after a reshuffle of the British government , following the resignation of its deputy prime minister. The prime minister appointed a new foreign affairs minister, Yvette Coopera. Starmer expressed his full confidence in both Angela Reyner, the former deputy prime minister, and now Mandelson on the eve of their respective departures.

And the fourth is the date, given that Donald Trump is scheduled to make a state visit to the United Kingdom next week, which includes a meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

However, one of the debates that seems inevitable now is how much Mandelson's relationship with Epstein was actually known when he was confirmed in the post last December, just after Trump's second victory. The Foreign Minister at the time was David Lammy , who was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister in the latest cabinet reshuffle.