TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologized for appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, following the scandal surrounding Mandelson's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which sparked political pressure and a vote of no confidence.
Starmer appointed Mandelson as ambassador in late 2024. He argued that Mandelson's experience in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, as well as his time as EU trade commissioner, made him suited to manage relations with Washington under President Donald Trump.
However, in September 2025, Mandelson was dismissed after his ties to Epstein emerged. On February 1, 2026, Mandelson also announced his resignation from the Labour Party.
According to the Prime Minister, Epstein's victims have waited too long for justice. "Sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and appointed him," Starmer said at a press conference on Thursday, as reported by Antara.
He also apologized to the victims for having to watch the case reopen in the public sphere and acknowledged the government's failure to hold those involved accountable.
Several opposition parties have called for a motion of no confidence in Starmer over the Mandelson scandal.
Starmer succumbed to pressure from the opposition Conservative Party to release documents on Mandelson's appointment and was forced to scale back efforts to limit the scope of the revelations after facing a rebellion in his own party.
Mandelson, a government minister when Labour was in power more than 15 years ago, resigned from the House of Lords on Tuesday over his ties to Epstein and is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct.
Documents released by the US Department of Justice last week included emails showing that Mandelson had leaked government documents to Epstein.
The emails released last week appear to indicate that in 2009, Mandelson sent a British government memo to Epstein about the possible sale of British assets and tax changes. A year later, the politician gave Epstein advance notice of a 500-billion-euro European Union financial aid package.
Epstein also recorded payments to Mandelson or his partner, who is now his husband. The documents allege that Mandelson received US$75,000 (approximately Rp1.2 billion) from Epstein in 2003–2004.
Mandelson claimed he has no recollection of receiving the payments. He has not publicly commented on the allegations that he leaked the documents and did not respond to messages seeking comment.
On January 30, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the completion of the Epstein documents. With this latest disclosure, the total number of released files now exceeds 3.5 million.
In 2008, Mandelson reassured Epstein, who was convicted of child prostitution, by telling him that "your friends stay with you and love you," according to a September 2025 report by The Sun.
Before Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison in a plea bargain, Mandelson urged him to fight for early release, the report said.
In several letters, Mandelson also reportedly expressed anger over Epstein's trial in the US and called on Epstein to approach it philosophically.
Starmer's Defense
On Wednesday, Starmer defended his response, saying he acted swiftly to strip titles and roles from a man he accused of "betraying" the UK.
When asked in parliament whether background checks conducted before Mandelson's appointment revealed any ongoing relationship between Mandelson and Epstein, Starmer replied, "Yes, it did. As a result, various questions were put to him."
He then stated that Mandelson had lied throughout the process and that relevant documents would show this.
However, Starmer's explanation did little to assuage opposition voices. They asserted that the ambassador's selection in late 2024 raised questions about the judgment of Starmer and his chief adviser, Morgan McSweeney.
It also did little to calm anger within the Labour Party, with MPs growing frustrated over Starmer's appointment of Mandelson and a series of policy changes.
“I am as angry as anyone about what Mandelson has been up to. The disclosures that have been made this week of him passing sensitive information at the height of the response to the 2008 financial crash is utterly shocking and appalling,” Starmer said in a parliamentary session.
"He has betrayed our country, he’s lied repeatedly, he’s responsible for a litany of deceit. But this moment demands not just anger but action, and that’s why we’ve moved quickly," he said after telling MPs that he had agreed with King Charles to remove Mandelson from the Privy Council.
A chaotic Wednesday afternoon session in the House of Commons, where MPs criticized Starmer and demanded transparency, resulted in a government compromise deal to avoid defeat.
After complaints from Labour MPs, the government dropped a proposal to withhold documents on Mandelson deemed detrimental to national security. The documents will be handed over to the Intelligence and Security Committee.
British police said they asked the government not to release some documents due to concerns that it could prejudice their investigation into allegations against Mandelson of misconduct in public office.
