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A Black Eye for British Politics
The newly released Mandelson Files have exposed something remarkable: Prime Minister Kier Starmer was told about Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him as Britain's ambassador to Washington. The files, released after a parliamentary vote, confirm that the vetting process was conducted by Matthew Doyle—a close friend of Mandelson who had campaigned for a candidate subsequently convicted of child sex offenses.
The Appointment Was "Weirdly Rushed"
Jonathan Pal, Starmer's national security adviser and former chief of staff to Tony Blair, described the appointment process as "weirdly rushed." Pal recalled that Morgan Mcweeney, a senior political figure, pushed hard for Mandelson's appointment. Mcweeney had three specific questions prepared for Mandelson regarding Epstein—alongside discussions about Global Council, his lobbying firm that has since gone insolvent.
Pal noted reservations from Philip Barton, another senior civil servant involved in the process. The most damning detail: Starmer must have known about Mandelson's relationship with Epstein given the JP Morgan report was publicly available before he made the appointment decision.
The Blair-Epstein Meeting
The files also reveal how Jeffrey Epstein came to meet Tony Blair at Downing Street in 2002. A memorandum from Mandelson to Jonathan Pal shows Mandelson pushing for Blair to meet Epstein, describing him as "an active scientific catalyst entrepreneur" with "his finger on the pulse of many worldwide markets and currencies."
The briefing note given to Blair before the meeting highlighted Epstein's wealth: roughly $200 million, a New York home, and a ranch in New Mexico. Mandelson arranged for Clinton to travel with Epstein, noting he was "safe"—a description that rings hollow today.
This represents New Labour at its core: the worship of money merged with an obsession with celebrity, image, and glamour. The files confirm that Mandelson secured half an hour with the Prime Minister simply because Epstein was rich.
The background on Epstein is that he's very rich. He's worth about a couple hundred million dollars. This sums up New Labour.
Counterpoints
Critics might note that framing this as a scandal obscures the fact Mandelson was ultimately not appointed to the Washington post—the one major decision where Starmer has been proven correct. Additionally, some observers have pointed out that linking these appointments to broader critiques of New Labour's aesthetic may conflate multiple separate failures.
Bottom Line
The strongest element of this argument is its documentation of institutional failure: the vetting was conducted by a man who had campaigned for someone convicted of child sex offenses, and the process was described as "weirdly rushed" by senior officials. The vulnerability lies in whether Starmer can now be held accountable—but with these files released strategically after Prime Minister's Questions, he faces difficult scrutiny. What emerges is a deeply troubling picture of how British political appointments were made during the New Labour era—and what standards were abandoned in pursuit of wealth and image.