British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has publicly apologised to the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after acknowledging that he believed “lies” told by Lord Peter Mandelson about the extent of his relationship with the financier. He also apologised for appointing him as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States
In a speech on Thursday, Starmer said that Mandelson portrayed Epstein as someone he “barely knew”. Starmer said he regretted the appointment and acknowledged the intense public and parliamentary scrutiny it has sparked.
“The victims of Epstein have lived with trauma that most of us could barely comprehend … I am sorry — sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him,” the prime minister said.
Escalating Political Backlash For Starmer
Starmer’s admission comes amid growing pressure from Labour MPs, opposition Conservatives, and wider public criticism:
Labour rebels threatened to vote against government plans unless documents related to Mandelson’s ambassadorial appointment are fully published — forcing the government to agree to release them to Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee as quickly as possible.
Cabinet minister Steve Reed described Mandelson as having lied and manipulated officials and argued that vetting systems failed to catch the true nature of the relationship.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and other opposition figures have criticised the government’s handling and called for wider transparency.
When pressed on whether he would fight efforts within his own party to unseat him as leader, Starmer emphasised his focus remains on changing the country for the better
Mandelson’s Fall and Files Release
Lord Peter Mandelson, a veteran Labour politician and former EU trade commissioner was appointed ambassador in early 2025 but later sacked by Starmer after a tranche of newly released documents revealed deeper ties to Epstein and messages suggesting close personal contact even after Epstein’s conviction.
The controversy has led to Mandelson resigning from the House of Lords and Starmer initiating moves to strip him of other honours, including membership of the Privy Council.
Government officials have said the Mandelson files will be published “as quickly as possible”, though some documents may be withheld if they risk national security or prejudice ongoing investigations