Starmer apologises for Mandelson appointment
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologised on Thursday to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to Washington despite his ties to the disgraced financier. The prime minister said Mandelson had “portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew.” In a speech on Thursday, he said “I am for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him.”
Starmer fired Mandelson in September after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein following the late financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offences involving a minor.
Epstein died by suicide in a jail cell in 2019, while awaiting trial on US federal charges accusing him of sexually abusing dozens of girls. Starmer never met Epstein and is not accused of any wrongdoing. But the prime minister is under intense pressure over the appointment after newly released documents revealed new details of Mandelson’s close relationship with Epstein.
“I was lied to,” Starmer said. “It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,” he added. British police are investigating Mandelson over potential misconduct in public office. He is not accused of any sexual offences. Documents published last week by the US Department of Justice contain new revelations, including papers suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive Government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis. There are also scores of chatty, jokey messages pointing to a much closer relationship than Mandelson had previously disclosed.
The newly released files also suggest that in 2003 to 2004, Epstein sent three payments totalling $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson or his partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva, now his husband. Mandelson, 72, has been a major, and contentious, figure in the Labour Party since the 1990s. He twice had to resign from senior posts in previous administrations because of scandals over money or ethics.
He was chosen as ambassador because his trade expertise, network of contents and mastery of the political “dark arts” were considered assets in dealing with President Donald Trump’s administration. Critics say Mandelson’s ties with Epstein made his appointment too risky and Starmer was, at best, naive.
“I think the prime minister has shown that his judgement is questionable,” Labour lawmaker Paula Barker said. “I think he has questions to answer. I think he has a very long way to go to rebuild trust and confidence with the public, and trust and confidence within our party. Mainwhile The former Prince Andrew has moved out of his longtime home on crown-owned land near Windsor Castle earlier than expected after the latest release of documents from the US investigation of Jeffrey Epstein revived questions about his friendship with the convicted sex offender.
The 65-year-old brother of King Charles III, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, left the Royal Lodge in Windsor on Monday and is now living on the king’s Sandringham estate in eastern England, Britain’s Press Association reported. British media reported that Mountbatten-Windsor will live temporarily at Wood Farm Cottage while his permanent home on the estate undergoes repairs.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s move to Sandringham was announced in October when Charles stripped him of his royal titles amid continuing revelations about his links to Epstein. But the former prince was expected to remain at Royal Lodge, where he has lived for more than 20 years, until the spring. The expedited departure came as Thames Valley Police announced they were investigating allegations that Epstein flew a second woman to Britain to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor.
A lawyer for the alleged victim told the BBC that the encounter took place in 2010 at Royal Lodge. The allegations are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she had been trafficked to Britain to have sex with Andrew in 2001, when she was just 17. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
