Lord Mandelson Resigns from Labour Party

Lord Mandelson has announced his resignation from the Labour Party, citing a desire to avoid causing "further embarrassment" due to his associations with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The former cabinet minister, who was dismissed as the UK ambassador to the US last year following revelations about his past connections to Epstein, was named in recently released documents by the US Department of Justice on Friday.

These documents indicate that Epstein made payments totaling $75,000 (£55,000) to Lord Mandelson through three separate transactions of $25,000 each during 2003 and 2004.

In a letter addressed to Labour's general secretary, Lord Mandelson stated:

"I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this."

"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.

While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.

I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests."

Reactions and Further Statements

Earlier on Sunday, Lord Mandelson expressed uncertainty regarding the authenticity of the newly released documents. He reiterated his regret for "ever having known Epstein" and for maintaining his association with the disgraced financier after Epstein's conviction, offering an unequivocal apology to the women and girls who suffered.

Labour MP Gordon McKee commented on BBC Radio 4 that Epstein's victims would be "rightly outraged" by the recent disclosures and affirmed that Lord Mandelson had taken the "right thing" by resigning from the Labour Party.

A Conservative Party spokesperson criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for "allowing Mandelson to resign from the Labour Party instead of kicking him out."

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had earlier called on the Prime Minister to suspend Lord Mandelson's membership and initiate an investigation into his connections with Epstein.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed stated that the government was unaware of Lord Mandelson's alleged financial links to Epstein when questioned by Laura Kuenssberg.

Lord Mandelson's Background and Career

Lord Mandelson has a longstanding association with the Labour Party. His grandfather, Herbert Morrison, served as a cabinet minister in Clement Attlee's 1945 government. Lord Mandelson began his work with Labour in the 1980s.

He was appointed as the UK's ambassador to Washington by Sir Keir Starmer in December 2024 but was dismissed the following September after further revelations about his friendship with Epstein emerged.

Since his appointment as ambassador, Lord Mandelson has been on a leave of absence from the House of Lords.

Emails disclosed in the recent document release reveal that he maintained contact with Epstein after Epstein's 2008 conviction, sending several supportive messages.

Details of Epstein's Conviction and Death

Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 conviction resulted from a plea bargain in Florida. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to two charges, including soliciting girls as young as 14 for prostitution.

In 2019, Epstein died in a New York prison cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Newly Released Documents and Financial Transactions

The latest documents, part of millions of files related to Epstein, were released by the US Department of Justice as mandated by law last year. The Financial Times first reported on the included bank statements, which appear to show three separate payments referencing Lord Mandelson, who was then Labour MP for Hartlepool, sent from Epstein's JP Morgan bank accounts.

The first payment, dated 14 May 2003, was sent to a Barclays bank account where Reinaldo Avila da Silva—Lord Mandelson's partner at the time—is named as "A/C," typically an abbreviation for account. In this payment, "Peter Mandelson" is listed as "BEN," often an abbreviation for beneficiary.

The second and third payments of $25,000 each were made to HSBC accounts only days apart in June 2004. In both transactions, "Peter Mandelson" is the sole named beneficiary.

It remains unclear whether these three payments were ever deposited into any of the named accounts.

Additional Images and Context

Among the files, images of Lord Mandelson in his underwear have...