U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sacked the U.K.’s Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson after further details emerged about the diplomat’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. lawmakers released a number of documents this week that revealed Mandelson’s apparent close friendship with Epstein, including a letter from Mandelson in which he called the disgraced financier his “best pal.” Epstein killed himself in prison in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges.
“In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as Ambassador,” a statement from the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Thursday.
“The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”
“In particular Peter Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information. In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes he has been withdrawn as Ambassador with immediate effect,” the statement added.
It’s unclear who will succeed Mandelson in the vital role of U.S. ambassador — arguably the most important diplomat in the U.K.’s Foreign Office — as Britain looks to maintain its “special relationship” with the U.S.
The role tends to be filled by older, established politicians, but whoever replaces Mandelson will have to curry favor with a deal-oriented, no-nonsense White House.
Starmer will be keen to maintain his seemingly warm relationship with Trump, with the leaders enjoying a good rapport despite their differing political leanings.
Trump, known to be something of an Anglophile, is coming to the U.K. next week for a state visit. His warm feelings toward the U.K were seen as one reason for the speedy trade deal the countries struck in June, resulting in a baseline tariff rate of 10% on British goods imported by the U.S.
Political pressure
Starmer has come under increasing pressure to release details on just how much the government knew about veteran politician Mandelson’s dealings with Epstein before appointing him to the role of U.S. ambassador in late 2024.
Just a day ago, Starmer defended his colleague, telling British lawmakers: “I have confidence in him,” when pressed on his appointment at the weekly question-and-answer session in parliament.
The White House has come under similar pressure to publish documents relating to President Donald Trump’s former friendship with Epstein, although their relationship is said to have soured in the mid-2000s.
In July, Trump said that even if the courts released grand jury transcripts in the criminal cases of Epstein and convicted procurer of young girls, Ghislaine Maxwell, “nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics.”
On Monday, House Democrats released a screenshot of what appeared to be a letter signed by Trump, which was included in a collection of notes sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. The letter featured a cryptic conversation between Trump and Epstein inside an apparently hand-drawn outline of a woman’s torso. Trump’s signature is located just below the hips of the drawing.
The letter is publicly visible for the first time since its existence was first reported by The Wall Street Journal in mid-July. Trump has not only denied writing the letter, but he sued the newspaper for defamation. The White House has said the picture was neither drawn, nor signed, by Trump.
CNBC has requested comment from a spokesman for Trump’s legal team.
— CNBC’s Kevin Breuninger and Erin Doherty contributed reporting to this story.
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