Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure after newly released U.S. Justice Department documents and earlier congressional files linked Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein and suggested Mandelson may have passed market-sensitive U.K. government information to Epstein while serving in Gordon Brown’s cabinet. Starmer has denied any personal wrongdoing, sacked Mandelson, apologised to Epstein’s victims and promised to publish vetting records. The Metropolitan Police have opened an inquiry into possible misconduct in public office, and some Labour MPs and opposition politicians are pushing for a no-confidence vote. Analysts estimate Starmer’s chances of surviving the crisis at roughly 20%.
Mandelson–Epstein Revelations Put Keir Starmer's Premiership on the Line
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (right) talks with Britain's then-Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador's residence in Washington, Feb. 26, 2025. / Credit: CARL COURT/POOL/AFP/Getty(CARL COURT/POOL/AFP/Getty)
London — Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under intense political pressure after newly released Justice Department documents and earlier congressional records linked veteran Labour politician Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein. While Starmer himself has not been implicated in criminal wrongdoing, his decision to appoint Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington has provoked fierce scrutiny and calls for his resignation.
What the Documents Reveal
Last Friday’s large-scale release of U.S. Department of Justice files, together with earlier disclosures from the U.S. House of Representatives, indicate that Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for solicitation and procuring a child for prostitution. The DOJ materials appear to show that, while Mandelson served in former prime minister Gordon Brown’s cabinet during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, he passed confidential, market-sensitive U.K. government information to Epstein — material that could plausibly have benefited the financier or his associates.
Peter Mandelson (left) is seen with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as he blows out the candles on a cake, in an undated photograph released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 19, 2025, as part of a trove of documents from its investigations into Epstein. / Credit: U.S. Department of Justice
Police Investigation And Legal Questions
The Metropolitan Police in London have opened an inquiry to determine whether Mandelson’s conduct amounts to misconduct in public office, an offence that can carry a life sentence in extreme cases. Starmer’s office said it had reviewed the new documents and concluded that "safeguards were compromised" with respect to the handling of sensitive information.
Political Fallout
Starmer dismissed Mandelson from the ambassadorship in September after earlier revelations, but the fresh DOJ files have reignited controversy. On the floor of the House, Starmer described Mandelson as having "lied repeatedly" and said he regretted appointing him. He apologised publicly to Epstein’s victims and pledged to publish vetting records and due-diligence materials related to the appointment.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech at Horntye Park Sports Complex, Feb. 5, 2026, in St Leonards-on-Sea, England. / Credit: Peter Nicholls/Getty
"Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party… he lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein," Starmer told MPs.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch and some Conservative MPs have seized on the episode to question Starmer’s judgment and the competence of Number 10’s vetting. The scandal has also prompted criticism from within Labour: several MPs described the prime minister’s position as untenable and called for a no-confidence vote.
What Comes Next?
Starmer has moved into damage-control mode: he has apologised to victims, promised transparency over vetting documents and faces escalating pressure from opponents and some allies. Analysts say the revelations have materially weakened his position. The Eurasia Group estimated Starmer’s chances of surviving the crisis at roughly 20%, reflecting heightened prospects of a leadership challenge.
Key facts to watch: the outcome of the Metropolitan Police inquiry, the contents of the vetting files Number 10 will publish, and whether Labour MPs will back a formal challenge to the prime minister’s leadership.
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