Lord Mandelson Quits Labour Party Over Epstein Links Fallout

Lord Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party. He said that he does not want to “cause further embarrassment” after fresh disclosures. In the file, he is getting linked with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The former cabinet minister announced his decision after reviewing the newly released files from the US Department of Justice. The announcement has reignited political controversy in the UK and drawn sharp reactions from across the Parliament.

In a letter to the Labour’s general secretary, Lord Mandelson said he felt “regretful and sorry.” He added that he had again been drawn into what he described as the “understandable furore” surrounding Epstein. While stressing that the allegations of financial payments were false, he also said that he was stepping down from party membership while he investigates the claims himself.

The documents, which were first reported by the Financial Times, appeared to show three separate payments of $25,000, that made in 2003 and 2004 from Epstein’s JP Morgan accounts and referencing Lord Mandelson. The former Labour MP has said that he has “no record or recollection” of receiving such payments. He also questioned the authenticity of the newly released material against him.

Epstein Files Raise Fresh Questions Over Mandelson Payments

According to the files, the first transaction, dated 14 May 2003, was sent to a Barclays account that listed Reinaldo Avila da Silva. She was Lord Mandelson’s partner at the time and also the account holder. In that record, “Peter Mandelson” was identified as the beneficiary. Two further payments followed in June 2004. In just one day apart, the amount was sent to HSBC accounts, which again named Lord Mandelson as the beneficiary. However, it remains unclear whether any of the funds ever reached those accounts.

Importantly, being named in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Even so, the revelations have placed a renewed scrutiny on Lord Mandelson’s past relationship with Epstein. Epstein, who was a disgraced financier, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

In his letter, Lord Mandelson wrote: “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.” He added that, while doing so, he did not wish to damage the Labour Party and therefore he believed that resignation was the responsible course.

Labour and Conservatives Clash Over Mandelson Resignation

The resignation prompted a swift response from both the Labour and Conservative figures. Labour MP Gordon McKee said that Epstein’s victims would be “rightly outraged” by the revelations and also said that Lord Mandelson had done the “right thing” by stepping down.

By contrast, a Conservative Party spokesman had criticized the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, for “allowing Mandelson to resign instead of kicking him out.” Earlier, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had also urged the prime minister to suspend Lord Mandelson’s membership and open a formal investigation into his ties with Epstein.

Meanwhile, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said that the government had not been aware of Lord Mandelson’s alleged financial links. Consequently, Sir Keir Starmer has not publicly commented on the resignation.

Who was Peter Lord Mandelson?

Lord Mandelson has long been a central figure in Labour politics. His grandfather, Herbert Morrison, was also a cabinet minister in Clement Attlee’s post-war government. Peter Lord Mandelson has began working for Labour in the 1980s. He later became a key architect of New Labour and served in the several senior cabinet roles.

More recently, Starmer has appointed him as the UK ambassador to the United States in December 2024. However, he was sacked less than a year later after a further details of his friendship with Epstein emerged. Since his appointment, he has been on leave from the House of Lords.

Previously, some of the Emails have revealed that the Lord Mandelson remained in contact with Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction. He was sending messages that were widely criticized as supportive. After the conviction, Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting underage girls as part of a plea deal in Florida and he, then, served 18 months in prison.

The latest files also included the redacted images showing Lord Mandelson. He was standing in his underwear next to an unidentified woman. He has said that he cannot place the location, the woman, or the circumstances in which the photographs were taken.

In resigning from Labour, Lord Mandelson said that he wanted to repeat his apology “to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now”. He added that his decision was made in what he believed to be the party’s best interests.

Web Resources on the Peter Lord Mandelson’s Resignation

1. Reuters.com: Former UK minister Mandelson quits
2. TheGuardian.com: Mandelson resigns from Labour to prevent ‘further embarrassment’ over Epstein links
3. TheTimes.com: Lord Mandelson resigns from Labour Party over Epstein links
4. Independent.co.uk: Lord Mandelson’s fall from grace – and what awaits him in UK
4. AcademicBlock.com: President Trump Signs Bill to Release Epstein Files