Peter Mandelson, a veteran of British politics, resigned from the Labour Party on February 2, 2026, following renewed scrutiny over his long-standing relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The resignation came after the release of further documents by the U.S. Department of Justice detailing financial transactions and communications between the two men, according to reports from the BBC and the New York Post.
Mandelson had previously been dismissed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States last year when initial revelations about his ties to Epstein surfaced. The latest disclosures suggest Epstein made $75,000 in payments to Mandelson in three separate transactions in 2003 and 2004, as reported by the BBC. In a letter to Labour’s general secretary, Mandelson stated he did not want to cause “further embarrassment” to the party and would investigate allegations regarding the payments, which he said he had no recollection of.
The renewed attention stems from a cache of private emails and court documents released by the U.S. House Oversight Committee in September 2025, and subsequent releases by the U.S. Justice Department. These documents revealed a friendship spanning at least from 2002 to 2011, continuing even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor. A 2003 birthday book message where Mandelson referred to Epstein as his “best pal” and emails from 2008 expressing support and advising Epstein to “fight for early release” have drawn particular criticism, as detailed in a Wikipedia entry on the relationship.
The fallout extends beyond Mandelson’s political career. Reports indicate that in 2009 and 2010, while serving as Business Secretary in Gordon Brown’s ministry, Mandelson allegedly passed government information to Epstein amid the 2008 financial crisis. Further reports in February 2026 suggest Mandelson and his husband received payments from Epstein, according to the Wikipedia entry.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced calls to address the situation and apologized to Epstein’s victims earlier this month, stating, “None of us knew the depth and darkness of that relationship,” referring to Mandelson’s ties to Epstein.
The situation in the United Kingdom contrasts with the response in the United States, where prominent figures with connections to Epstein have largely maintained their positions of power. While former Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal titles and is now facing a police investigation over claims he shared confidential trade information with Epstein, figures like President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have not faced similar consequences. Lutnick acknowledged at a Senate hearing that he and his family traveled to Epstein’s private island in 2012, despite previously stating he had limited interactions with Epstein.
Across Europe, consequences for association with Epstein have been more pronounced. In France, Jack Lang resigned as head of a Paris cultural center. In Norway, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with “gross corruption” and Mona Juul resigned as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan following revelations about Epstein’s financial ties to her family. Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit also apologized for vacationing at an Epstein property.
The U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has faced criticism for what some, including Professor Richard Painter of the University of Minnesota Law School, describe as a “selective” release of Epstein files.
