Starmer apologises to Epstein victims over Mandelson appointment

Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologised on Feb. 5 to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington, saying he had been misled about the depth of Mandelson’s relationship with the late convicted sex offender.

“I am sorry,” Starmer said in a speech in Hastings, East Sussex. “Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him and sorry that even now you’re forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.” He added a wider pledge on accountability: “in this country, we will not look away, we will not shrug our shoulders, and we will not allow the powerful to treat justice as optional. We will pursue the truth. We will uphold the integrity of public life, and we will do everything within our power and in the interests of justice to ensure accountability is delivered. That is what the public expects. That is what the victims deserve, and it is what I will do.”

Starmer’s apology came after newly released Epstein files intensified scrutiny of Mandelson, the veteran Labour politician who was appointed ambassador in December 2024 and sacked by No. 10 in September 2025. The recent material appears to show Mandelson leaked sensitive government policy discussions; some of the disclosures suggest the information included secret, market-moving material dating to the 2008 financial crisis. Investigations have been opened and police have launched inquiries into the alleged leaks. Mandelson has resigned from the House of Lords and from the Labour Party and is facing a criminal probe.

The scandal has strained the governing party and provoked questions about vetting and ministerial judgement. Starmer said Mandelson was asked directly before his appointment whether he had stayed at Epstein’s home after Epstein’s conviction and whether he had accepted gifts and hospitality, and that “the information now available makes clear that the answers he gave were lies.” In parliament he condemned Mandelson’s conduct, saying, “Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party.”

The affair has diplomatic as well as domestic consequences. The ambassadorial post in Washington is a senior diplomatic posting at the heart of Britain’s transatlantic relationship; the appointment and sudden removal of a high-profile figure have caused embarrassment in Whitehall and among partners abroad. Legal questions now intersect with international market considerations — if proven, leaks of market-moving state information could have violated criminal statutes and risked distortions across global financial markets.

Labour’s internal tensions are visible. Some MPs have urged the removal of senior advisers they blame for Mandelson’s selection, with one veteran Labour backbencher saying ministers should “get rid of those advisers who frankly have given terrible advice.” Ministers close to Downing Street have pushed back, with Communities Secretary Steve Reed saying the person at fault was Mandelson. “The person at fault here is not the prime minister or his team. It is Peter Mandelson who lied, manipulated and deceived everybody,” he said.

Starmer had travelled to Hastings to deliver a speech on a neighbourhood investment programme known as Pride in Place, a £5 billion initiative to which he planned to add £800 million. Instead, he devoted the address to reckoning with the fallout from the Epstein files, offering a public apology to victims and promising to pursue accountability as investigators and opponents press for further answers.