Two days before Peter Mandelson was sacked, Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly expressed confidence in the former diplomat during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons. This came after details emerged of emails between Mandelson, a former ambassador to the US, and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The emails, published later, revealed Mandelson writing to Epstein, “your friends stay with you and love you,” while Epstein was facing jail for sex offences. The messages sparked widespread criticism and ultimately led to Mandelson’s dismissal on Thursday.
Reports indicate that the Foreign Office first received a media enquiry about the emails on Tuesday. This information was passed to No 10, according to PA Media and The Times. The permanent undersecretary at the Foreign Office, Oliver Robbins, reportedly sought confirmation from Mandelson regarding the emails but did not receive a response until Wednesday afternoon.
Starmer, unaware of the email contents at the time, had expressed his support for Mandelson during PMQs on Wednesday. By the evening, after reviewing the emails, the prime minister moved quickly to dismiss him.
The episode highlights the rapid developments in the government following the publication of sensitive communications and underscores the scrutiny surrounding political figures’ private correspondence, especially in connection with high-profile scandals like that involving Epstein.