Downing Street Aware of Mandelson-Epstein Emails Before Starmer Defence, Mandelson Sacked

Downing Street officials and the Foreign Office were aware of damaging emails between Lord Peter Mandelson and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein before Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer publicly defended Mandelson during Prime Minister’s Questions. The emails, which showed Mandelson offering support to Epstein during his jail time, were sent from an account not available during the vetting process, revealing a closer relationship than previously known. Despite being informed by the Foreign Office on Tuesday, Starmer expressed confidence in Mandelson on Wednesday without knowledge of the full email contents, which became public later that day. Mandelson was removed as the UK ambassador to the US on Thursday following the revelations, but remains on the government payroll amid concerns over a potential costly payout since he refused to resign. The scandal has raised questions about Starmer's judgment and the vetting process, with critics targeting his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, for promoting Mandelson's appointment despite public knowledge of his links to Epstein. Parliamentary figures are demanding answers about the handling of the case, highlighting the political fallout just days before President Trump's state visit to the UK.