Peter Mandelson’s relationship with disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is facing renewed focus following the release of the latest tranche of Epstein files.
The 72-year-old British peer, who served as ambassador to the US until he was sacked last year over ties to Epstein, has now quit the Labour Party to avoid “further embarrassment”.
But pressure is mounting on Lord Mandelson to quit the Lords, with Sir Keir Starmer saying he should resign as he ordered an urgent review into the peer’s ties to the late financier.
Addressing his departure, Lord Mandelson wrote: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.”
“Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.”
“While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour party, and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.”
However, there are mounting calls for answers after documents appear to suggest Epstein made £55,000 in payments to Lord Mandelson when he was a Labour MP, through three separate transactions between 2003 and 2004.
Emails also suggest he told Epstein he would lobby the UK government over the matter of bankers' bonuses.
He is also facing claims he leaked confidential documents on sensitive financial matters to Epstein when he was Business Secretary.
Government minister Olivia Bailey said that Lord Mandelson “must answer questions” over the allegations.
Alongside emails and documents, Lord Mandelson featured in images released in the latest Epstein files, including one of him standing next to a woman while semi-dressed. The peer has not been accused of any sexual misconduct.
Lord Mandelson’s last name is referenced 5,938 times in the Epstein documents on the US Department of Justice website. In one email, he calls Epstein his “chief life adviser”, with email chains appearing to suggest that Epstein and Mandelson were very closely acquainted and discussed all sorts of business and politics.
Lord Mandelson has been asked by media organisations for a response to all the claims.
So what are Epstein and Lord Mandelson shown discussing in their emails?
1. Tax favours at the request of Epstein
Lord Mandelson appears to say to Epstein that he was “trying hard to amend” a government policy relating to a tax on bankers’ bonuses after Epstein's request.
On December 15, 2009, Epstein asked: “Any [sic] real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus.”
Lord Mandelson is shown responding: “Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case.”
At the time, Lord Mandelson was the business secretary under Gordon Brown.
2. Mandelson tells Epstein about ‘pretty women of your persuasion’
On February 6, 2011, Lord Mandelson sent a message saying: “In j'burg sitting on a hotel deck surrounded by lots of loud pretty women of your persuasion, no fun in sight.”
It’s unclear whether there was any further correspondence between the two addresses following this.
3. Epstein ‘sends thousands to Mandelson’s partner’
In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein was sentenced to an 18-month sentence in Florida for soliciting sex with minors, with reports that the time claimed the girls were as young as 14.
He was released after 13 months, but just before his release, Epstein suggested in an email that he had seen Lord Mandelson’s long-term partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
In one email chain, Epstein emails Lord Mandelson on 19 July 2009, writing: “You didn’t call me ,„ i spent an hour with rinaldo.. call me tomorrow.. at office.”
Lord Mandelson appears to reply: “I was immersed in Afghanistan … thanks for talking to Reinaldo. It did him (therefore me) a lot of good. You now see the problems. I cannot talk to him about these things at all, he won’t listen. I am doing Sunday media then will call. Thanks again xxx.”
Emails then suggest that Epstein sent various sums of money to Lord Mandelson's partner after he was released from prison in 2009.
Mr Da Silva emailed Epstein on September 7 2009, asking Epstein to fund an osteopathy course.
“I sent you a couple of emails last week regarding my osteo course expenses, incl fee, anatomical models, laptop if you can help me with this. I hope you received them,” Reinaldo wrote.
“I just managed to speak to the fees office at the osteo school and confirmed that my annual fee is of £3,225 … They accept bank transfer and the details are as follows.”
Epstein then says he will wire him the money immediately. After more correspondence, Lord Mandelson also emails Epstein saying: “Remind him that to avoid a gift-tax filing it must be a loan.”
4. Mandelson ‘shares potentially sensitive No10 documents’
Several email chains also appear to show Lord Mandelson, when business secretary and de factor deputy prime minister, forwarding government documents to Epstein, some of which could be considered sensitive, given that Epstein doesn’t have an official role in the UK government.
In June 2009, Lord Mandelson appeared to forward an internal memo shared by a special adviser to then prime minister Gordon Brown, in which they discussed increasing private-sector investments and ongoing government discussions.
“Interesting note that’s gone to the PM,” Lord Mandelson writes, sharing the chain with Epstein.
5. Mandelson criticises Labour leader to Epstein
Emails also suggest that Lord Mandelson would confide personal political opinions to Epstein.
In one email correspondence, an address named “petermandelson” writes to Epstein on March 31, 2010: “The PM needs to be confined asap to a sanitorium.”
Several hours later, the email follows up: “Full on victimhood and spraying blame...”
At the time, Gordon Brown was the prime minister, and Lord Mandelson was business secretary.
6. Epstein jokes about Mandelson marrying Prince Andrew
In another strange interaction on October 19, 2009, Epstein sends an email to Lord Mandelson in which he references marrying Prince Andrew in order to “be prime minister”.
He wrote: “if you married prince andrew„ you would be forced to resign your peerage, and then be prime minister.”
A response appears from an email, which is redacted, that says “it’s a deal.”
7. Mandelson tips off Epstein about EU bailout
Further emails suggest that Lord Mandelson was sharing not just sensitive government emails with Epstein, but also advanced notice of key government dealings, including a €500bn bailout plan.
On May 9, 2010, Epstein sent a message to Lord Mandelson saying: "sources tell me 500 b euro bailout , almost complete."
The message refers to ongoing discussions about an EU bailout package for Greece amid the European debt crisis. The UK didn’t directly contribute to the bailout, but representatives were present at negotiations in Brussels.
Although the responding email address is hidden, a response thought to be from Lord Mandelson says “Sd be announced tonight."
8. Lord Mandelson helps Epstein contacts secure a deal with the UK government
It appears the exchanges between Lord Mandelson and Epstein were mutually beneficial, with the men often sharing warm, colloquial conversations.
There was also an apparent business benefit, with Epstein asking Lord Mandelson for favours to help his business colleagues get access to the UK.
In 2010, Epstein set up a meeting with investment banker and JP Morgan banker Jes Staley and Lord Mandelson to discuss the energy trading firm Sempra.
Subsequent emails between Epstein and Staley said that the meeting with “Petie” (Epstein’s nickname for Mandelson) had been “very” helpful.
Two weeks after the emails, it was announced that JP Morgan was buying Sempra for $1.7bn (£1.2bn).
9. Epstein lobbies Mandelson on behalf of Dubai businessman
In further email exchanges, Epstein helped Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the chairman of UAE port operator DP World, gain access to government loan guarantees and investments.
At one point, Epstein forwards an email to Lord Mandelson asking about investment opportunities in 2009, when he was business secretary.
Messages then show Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem promoting the London Gateway project as the “UK’s largest inward investment infrastructure project” and “one of the UK’s largest job creation opportunities,” as he tried to get government support for the proposed port.
Epstein later shares Lord Mandelson’s personal email address, and it’s understood that the project eventually goes ahead. Gordon Brown later said the investment represented a “massive vote of confidence in the UK’s economic recovery”.
10. Gordon Brown’s resignation leaked to Epstein before public
On May 10, 2010, a redacted email thought to have been sent from Lord Mandelson to Epstein wrote: “Finally got him to go today...”
Several hours later, Epstein responds: “i have faith, the value of some chapters in your book should now increase.”
One day later, Mr Brown announces his resignation as prime minister at 10 Downing Street.
