The Epstein Files

Mendelson Fallout

Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the United States in December 2024 received praise from various political and diplomatic figures, primarily for his extensive trade experience and political stature.

Key figures and groups who praised the appointment include:

Sir Keir Starmer: The Prime Minister described Mandelson as having “unrivalled experience” that would take the UK-US partnership from “strength to strength.”

David Lammy: The Foreign Secretary welcomed him “back to the team,” noting his wealth of experience in trade, economic, and foreign policy.

Lord Kim Darroch: The former British ambassador to the US called it a “good appointment” and stated Mandelson was the “right man for the job.”

Nigel Farage: Despite being a political opponent, Farage stated that Mandelson would make a “good ambassador” due to his intelligence and trade expertise.

Pascal Lamy: The former World Trade Organization chief praised him as a “remarkable personality” who is “creative on the ideological level.”

Robert Harris: The author noted Mandelson’s “star quality” and suggested he would “fit in well in Washington DC” as a “big player.”

Others include Nigel Farage, Michael Gove, Dan Hodges. The press did not mention Epstein, rather Mendelson’s closeness to the EU and China raised reservation.

At the time of the appointment Epstein had been dead for 5 years. The current outrage was sparked by revelations that nobody knew about, in emails sent 6 years before Keir Starmer became an MP.

He is no more guilty today than he was in September when Mendelson was sacked, unless he was advised by vetting not to appoint. The prosecution of Mendelson will delay the release of full disclosure of the appointment process. A torrid time for Starmer, but justice must be done.