Facing a political crisis, UK Prime Minister Starmer has apologized to the victims of the Epstein case for appointing the notorious Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, repeatedly expressing regret.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Starmer said he had previously been misled by Mandelson's "lies" and appointed him as ambassador to the US, and for that, he apologized to the victims of the Epstein case.
On the 5th, speaking in East Sussex, England, Starmer said it was previously known that Mandelson was acquainted with the late American financier Epstein, but newly revealed materials show that the closeness of their relationship was “far beyond imagination,” which is worrying. He said he understood the doubts and dissatisfaction both inside and outside Parliament, and would address related issues seriously.
Starmer added that he hoped, without affecting the police investigation, to disclose the security vetting opinion on which Mandelson’s appointment was based. He emphasized he would not take any action that might interfere with judicial proceedings.
The previous day, Starmer said in the UK Parliament that Mandelson had betrayed the country, Parliament, and the Labour Party. Before serving as ambassador to the US, Mandelson had been asked multiple times about his relationship with Epstein, but repeatedly lied.
Starmer Under Immense Pressure
The scandal has continued to ferment in British politics recently, placing immense pressure on Starmer from within the Labour Party and from the opposition. Opinion polls show Starmer’s approval rates are recently at low levels. The British media generally believe that this scandal may affect Starmer’s prospects of governing.
Mandelson, 72, served as Business Secretary and other key posts during the governments of former UK Prime Ministers Blair and Brown. In February 2025, Starmer appointed him as ambassador to the US, but after just seven months in the role, as his links to the Epstein case surfaced, Starmer removed him from office. Mandelson has recently resigned from his life peerage in the House of Lords and quit the Labour Party.
On the 3rd, UK police launched a criminal investigation into Mandelson, who is suspected of improper conduct such as leaking market-sensitive information while in public office. After the US Department of Justice released over three million pages of documents related to the Epstein case last week, all sectors in the UK have been shocked by Mandelson’s close relationship with Epstein.
The documents show that from 2003 to 2004, Mandelson and his partner allegedly received three transfers totaling $75,000 from Epstein; in 2009, while serving as Business Secretary, he forwarded an economic briefing intended for then-Prime Minister Brown to Epstein, which contained internal discussions on the UK government’s plans to sell assets and raise funds after the onset of the 2008 global financial crisis; and in May 2010, he disclosed in advance to Epstein the EU’s impending launch of a €500 billion Eurozone bailout package.