By Trendsetter Tribune 
Former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson resigns from Labour Party after DOJ files reveal he sent a government memo to Jeffrey Epstein and received payments from the convicted sex offender.
Former UK ambassador to the United States Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party following revelations in newly released Jeffrey Epstein files that show him forwarding a confidential government memo to the disgraced financier.
Mandelson, once a senior British government official and envoy to Washington, faced scrutiny after documents suggested he sent an internal memo outlining “Business Issues”—including ideas to sell government assets—to Epstein in 2009. According to the Justice Department release, Mandelson labeled the memo interesting and engaged with Epstein on topics such as land and property sales, which were eventually adopted by the Labour government four months later.
In addition, the files allege Mandelson received multiple payments from Epstein in the early 2000s, including three transactions of $25,000 each. Mandelson has claimed he does not recall these payments and questioned the authenticity of the documents, though he did not outright deny them. The files also show payments to his partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, in 2009 and 2010.
Mandelson’s ties to Epstein extended to advising on tax matters. In 2009, he allegedly discussed amending a UK tax on bank bonuses with Epstein and suggested that JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon could “mildly threaten” the Chancellor of the Exchequer over the policy.
“I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furor surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this,” Mandelson said. In his resignation from Labour, he added: “I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.”
The scandal has placed additional pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with opposition leaders questioning why Mandelson was appointed ambassador despite his known connections to Epstein. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said:
“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.”
Mandelson, who was previously a powerful figure in the UK government, has faced mounting criticism as details from the DOJ’s Epstein files continue to emerge, revealing interactions that critics argue were inappropriate given Epstein’s criminal history.