Epstein Ties Dethrone UK’s ‘Prince of Darkness’ Mandelson
Peter Mandelson, center, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC.
Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
When Peter Mandelson was appointed the UK’s ambassador to the US in February, many in the British government predicted it would end in a scandal. Mandelson, a political operator once known as the “Prince of Darkness” for his capacity for political intrigue and spin, was fired by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday after Bloomberg published a series of emails between Mandelson and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which cast new light on their relationship.
Mandelson twice resigned from Tony Blair’s cabinet at the turn of the century due to scandals over relationships with wealthy businessmen. His ties with Epstein were known when he was made ambassador — although he had denied that they were extensive and said he regretted them. But Starmer’s office concluded that the fresh revelations in the emails show “the depth and extent” of their relationship “is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”