OFFICIALS blocked the release of a secret memo in which Peter Mandelson urged Tony Blair to meet Jeffrey Epstein while he was prime minister, it has emerged.
The Times has reported that Mandelson, who is Britain’s ambassador to the US, is understood to have encouraged Blair to meet Epstein in a 2002 note sent to key aides, with advice then passed on to the prime minister.
It is understood documents were due to be made public as part of a standard National Archives release in July, but this was blocked.
It is thought that officials concluded the document might embarrass the country and harm relations with the US.
It emerged this week Mandelson called the late convicted paedophile Epstein his “best pal” in a birthday message that was released by US lawmakers.
In 2003, Mandelson described Epstein as an “intelligent, sharp-witted man”, who “parachuted” into his life, in a message for the paedophile’s 50th birthday.
US president Donald Trump has also been dogged by claims about his associations with Epstein.
The “birthday book” for Epstein also included a note with a drawing of a woman's body, allegedly signed below the belt by Trump. The White House has denied the president signed the document.
Keir Starmer (below, with Mandelson) is now facing questions about his judgment in appointing Mandelson, as he refused to commit to releasing all documents about the ambassador’s connection with Epstein.
He faced calls in the Commons on Wednesday to come clean about what he knew about the pair’s friendship, but he refused to budge and said repeatedly he had confidence in the ambassador, who he insisted was “playing an important role in the UK-US relationship”.
Pressed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to release all documents relating to Mandelson’s links to Epstein, Starmer said “that is subject to a procedure which includes an independent element”.
The Government is withholding details of the attempt by Mandelson to arrange a meeting between Blair and Epstein while the former was prime minister.
At the time Mandelson, who had twice resigned from the cabinet, was a backbench Labour MP but remained a high-profile figure in the party. It is understood he wrote an email in May 2002 encouraging Blair to meet Epstein, who was due to be in London at the time.
He is said to have argued that a meeting would be helpful to Blair given Epstein’s business interests and connections and said it would be “safe”.
It is unclear if Blair ever met Epstein as a result of Mandelson’s efforts, which came before allegations of sex abuse against the financier became public in 2006.
Under rules that allow government papers to be made public after 20 years, the memo was due to be released as part of a National Archives package, alongside an official summary of Mandelson’s advice written for Blair by the civil service and sent the following week. However, the documents were pulled.
It is thought an “international relations” exemption was applied allowing documents to be withheld from standard releases if “disclosure would, or would be likely to, harm UK interests”.
Recommendations to keep a document secret are reviewed by an advisory committee of senior lawyers and academics who have the power to decide on whether they are made public. They do not see the original documents and in most cases go along with government recommendations.
Mandelson has apologised for the "embarrassing" message and has acknowledged he continued his relationship with Epstein “for too long”.
