PM warned of ‘risk’ in appointing ex Hartlepool MP Mandelson
The Government has released an initial batch of papers relating to Lord Mandelsonโs appointment after MPs ordered the publication of the files.
A โdue diligenceโ document drawn up in December 2024 before Lord Mandelsonโs appointment to the Washington role noted a series of reports detailing his links with Epstein.
The document noted that after Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008 โtheir relationship continued across 2009-2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was business minister and continuing after the end of the Labour governmentโ, noting that โMandelson reportedly stayed in Epsteinโs house while he was in jail in June 2009โ.
Lord Mandelson was appointed in December 2024 but sacked in September 2025 after further details about the extent of his contact with Epstein emerged.
The documents released by the Government on Wednesday showed he was awarded a ยฃ75,000 severance payout funded by taxpayers.
Last month, MPs ordered the Government to release tens of thousands of documents relating to Lord Mandelsonโs appointment following the US Department of Justiceโs publication of the so-called Epstein Files.
The Prime Minister has insisted Lord Mandelson โlied repeatedlyโ to No 10 about his relationship with Epstein, before and during his tenure as ambassador.
The first tranche of documents does not include correspondence between No 10 and Lord Mandelson, in which a number of follow-up questions were asked about his relationship with Epstein.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones updated MPs on the release of the Mandelson papers in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
He said: โWhilst the documents point to public reports of an ongoing relationship between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein, the advice did not expose the depth and extent of their relationship, which only became apparent after the release of further files by Bloomberg and then the United States Department of Justice.
โAfter the Prime Minister reviewed the Cabinet Office due diligence, that noted public reporting on Peter Mandelsonโs relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, questions were put to Peter Mandelson by advisers in No 10 โฆ. and Peter Mandelson responded.
โThese are matters that are currently the subject of an ongoing police investigation and we will publish this document when the investigation allows.
โWhen we do, the House will be able to see Peter Mandelsonโs answers for themselves, which the Prime Minister regrets believing.โ
The release of the documents was ordered when MPs backed a โhumble addressโ motion tabled by the Tories, a rarely used manoeuvre which compels the Government to act.
Some files have been withheld for national security or foreign relations reasons, but the final say over which documents are redacted rests with Parliamentโs Intelligence and Security Committee.
The Government has also agreed a framework with the Metropolitan Police on which documents can be released without prejudicing the ongoing police investigation into Lord Mandelson over allegations of misconduct in public office.
Mr Jones told ITVโs Good Morning Britain: โOn the specific issue of Peter Mandelsonโs appointment as ambassador to the United States, the Prime Minister has apologised for his appointment and said that it was a mistake.
โThe documents that will be published later today to Parliament will provide full transparency about the appointments process, bar one document that has been held back by the Metropolitan Police because of an ongoing criminal investigation.
โThe Prime Minister said that we only really knew of the depth and extent of Peter Mandelsonโs ongoing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein once documents had been published by first Bloomberg and then the United States Department of Justice.
โAs soon as those documents became available, and it became obvious that Peter Mandelson had lied to the Prime Minister about the depth and extent of his relationship, he was sacked as ambassador the United States very promptly.โ