Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party and a government minister has said that he must “answer questions” over his links to the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein,
In 2025 Mandelson was sacked by Sir Keir Starmer as the US ambassador amid his friendship with Epstein.
Mandelson wants to avoid “further embarrassment” for the government, but by quitting Labour, it will make it more difficult to undertake an investigation into him.
On Friday the US Department of Justice released three million files and it revealed that Epstein made payments of £55,000 to Mandelson.
Lord Mandelson told Labour’s General Secretary, “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.
He added: “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.
In his resignation letter, 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.
“I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.
I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.”
A Conservative Party spokesman said, “Lord Mandelson is completely disgraced. Yet Keir Starmer lacked the backbone to take action, allowing Mandelson to resign from the Labour Party instead of kicking him out.
“Keir Starmer and his chief of staff appointed Mandelson ambassador despite his relationship with Epstein, and then refused to act even as the mountain of evidence against him grew.
“Given the Prime Minister’s appalling lack of judgment and the participation of his Downing Street operation, there must now be a full and thorough independent investigation.”
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