Afrasianet - The Mandelson Files" is a collection of correspondence and documents that shed light on the nature of the relationship between the American businessman convicted of sex crimes, Jeffrey Epstein, and the British Lord Peter Mandelson, one of the most prominent architects of the Labour Party 's rise to power under Tony Blair, and raised suspicions about Mandelson's leaking of sensitive government information, and accusing him of misconduct while performing public office.
The documents sparked controversy in the UK after they included correspondence and information that was said to have revealed an undisclosed level of communication between the two men, as well as allegations of sharing sensitive government information during Mandelson's time in office.
These developments led to widespread political and legal repercussions, including Mandelson's resignation from party and public positions and the opening of official investigations against him, making the case one of the most prominent political crises facing Keir Starmer's government.
The case resurfaced in late April 2026, after the Guardian reported that the State Department had granted Mandelson a security clearance to take up the post of ambassador to the United States in January 2025, despite a negative assessment by the security verification body.
Who is Peter Mandelson?
Peter Mandelson is one of the most prominent British politicians whose names have been associated with the rise of the Labour Party in the 1990s, and was one of the main architects of Prime Minister Tony Blair's New Labour project.
Mandelson began his political career within the Labour Party in the late 1980s, and in 1992 he was elected to the British House of Commons representing the constituency of Hartlepool, a seat he held until 2004.
During this period, he held a number of prominent ministerial positions in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of Business and Trade in 1998 and Minister for Northern Ireland from 1999 to 2001.
In 2004 he moved to European work, serving as Trade Commissioner of the European Commission until 2008, the same year he was granted membership of the House of Lords.
Mandelson returned to the UK government in 2008, serving as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills, a position he held until 2010.
Mandelson's relationship with Epstein
Peter Mandelson's name has returned to the fore after he was appointed as the UK's ambassador to the US in December 2024 by a decision by Prime Minister Starmer, as subsequent documents revealed new details about his relationship with US financier Jeffrey Epstein convicted of sex crimes.
Mandelson took up his diplomatic duties inWashington in February 2025, although his choice surprised some observers due to his previous stances on US President Donald Trump, as he had previously described him as a "bully", "reckless and a danger to the world", but Mandelson retracted those remarks after his appointment, considering that they were "misjudged and wrong".
In September 2025, the US Congress released a batch of documents known as the "Epstein Files", a collection of correspondence and materials collected during the two criminal investigations into the US businessman before he committed suicide in custody in 2019.
Days after the documents were published, Mandelson was removed from his post as ambassador to the United States, and diplomat James Roscoe was appointed as his temporary replacement.
On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice released a second batch of the Epstein Files, which included emails showing that Mandelson, while serving as business secretary, shared internal government information with Epstein.
On 1 February 2026, Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party as political pressure mounted to demand that he relinquish the title of nobility and his seat in the House of Lords.
Three days later, he resigned from the board as Scotland Yard announced a criminal investigation had been opened against him for "misconduct in public office".
What did the files reveal?
Although Mandelson's association with Epstein was previously known, the files revealed a closer relationship than previously thought, with correspondence in which Mendelsohn described Epstein as "his best friend" and offered him advice on dealing with political and financial crises inspired by Sun Tzu's The Art of War.
The files also pointed to transfers of $75,000 from Epstein to accounts linked to Mandelson or members of his family in 2003 and 2004, and to the sharing of sensitive information related to the British government's plans after the 2008 global financial crisis, including details related to bankers' taxes and euro support plans.
Selfies posted in the circulating material sparked further controversy, with Mandelson appearing in a semi-nude photo alongside a woman whose face he hid, adding a new dimension to the controversy surrounding his relationship with Epstein and his personal behavior.
Other correspondence also suggested that he pushed for a bill to amend a bill related to the remuneration of senior financial executives on Epstein's behalf.
Investigations
British police launched a criminal investigation in February 2026 after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government referred correspondence between Mandelson and Epstein to the relevant authorities, following the US Department of Justice published a large batch of "The Epstein Files" in late January 2026.
The documents indicated that Mandelson may have passed on sensitive government information to Epstein in 2009 that could affect financial markets during his tenure in government positions between 2008 and 2010. The investigation did not include any charges against Mandelson of sexual offences.
As part of the investigation, police searched two homes linked to Mandelson, one in London and the other in the west of England. On February 24, 2026, the Metropolitan Police in London announced the arrest of a 72-year-old man on suspicion of "misconduct in public office", without disclosing his identity, in accordance with procedures in the UK, before British media confirmed that he was Mandelson.
Police said the suspect was taken to a security centre for questioning, while local media broadcast footage of Mandelson leaving his home in central London with plainclothes security officers.
Political Implications
The scandal cast a shadow over the government of Keir Starmer, who had chosen Mandelson to serve as ambassador to Washington in late 2024. The government also apologised to Epstein's victims, and vowed to release documents related to the decision to appoint and sack Mandelson.
In a speech to the House of Commons in February 2026, Starmer described what was revealed to be Mandelson's involvement in the leak of sensitive government information at the height of the 2008 global financial crisis as "a clear betrayal of the country, Parliament and the Labour Party".
Starmer added that Mandelson had "repeatedly lied" to his team about the nature of his relationship with Epstein, both before his appointment and while he was ambassador, stressing that he would not have agreed to his appointment if he had known at the time about the information that was later revealed.
The case resurfaced in late April 2026, after the Guardian newspaper reported that the Foreign Office had granted Mandelson a security clearance to take over as ambassador in January 2025, despite a negative assessment by the security verification body.
This led to renewed questioning of Starmer in parliament over Mandelson's appointment to one of Britain's most prominent diplomatic posts.
Amid the ongoing controversy, Starmer has rejected calls for his resignation over the case, insisting he stands by his position despite mounting political pressure.
