The British government on Wednesday released the batch of documents related to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the United States, after lawmakers demanded disclosure following revelations about his past friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The 147-page set of documents was published on a government website as part of a wider release expected to include thousands of files. The disclosure comes amid mounting political pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his decision in 2024 to appoint Mandelson to the key diplomatic post at the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term.
Separately, government documents released on Wednesday indicated that Starmer had been warned about the potential risks before the appointment. A due diligence report prepared ahead of Mandelson’s nomination noted that his association with Epstein carried a “general reputational risk”.Mandelson, 72, a former Cabinet minister and senior figure in the ruling Labour Party, was arrested on February 23 at his London home on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police later released him without bail conditions, and the investigation is ongoing. He has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged. He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.The government has said that Mandelson misled officials about the extent of his relationship with Epstein, reported AP.This comes after UK cabinet minister Darren Jones had earlier in the day said the “first tranche of documents” would be made public on Wednesday afternoon.“The documents that will be published today later to Parliament will provide full transparency about the appointments process, bar one document that has been held back by the Metropolitan Police because of an ongoing criminal investigation,” Jones told broadcaster ITV.The documents are being released in batches after review by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. Police asked the government not to publish any files that could compromise the ongoing criminal investigation.Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September after an earlier document release indicated that he had maintained contact with Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction for sexual offences involving a minor.Further details about Mandelson’s links with Epstein, contained in files published by the US Department of Justice in January, intensified criticism from political opponents and some members of Starmer’s own Labour Party.Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims and said he was sorry for “having believed Mandelson’s lies” and appointing him.
