Former US Ambassador warned to pose threat to PM after being fired less than 24 hours after Starmer gave him ‘full confidence’ following Jeffrey Epstein revelations
Lord Peter Mandelson could be plotting to topple Sir Keir Starmer in an act of “vengeance” after being dismissed from his role as US Ambassador over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, allies of the sacked diplomat have warned.
The 71-year-old peer, known in political circles as the “Prince of Darkness,” was fired on Thursday after emails revealed he had called Epstein his “best pal” and told the paedophile “I think the world of you” whilst offering support during his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Sir Keir axed Lord Mandelson less than 24 hours after telling Parliament he had “full confidence” in the ambassador, creating a dramatic U-turn that has left Britain without permanent representation in Washington just days before President Donald Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to the UK.
Vengeance will be unleashed like a deposed Mafia Don,” an ally of the 71-year-old told The Sun, putting the Prime Minister on stark notice about potential political retribution. They continued with an ominous warning: “Never doubt the sting of a dying wasp,” before adding that Lord Mandelson “knows very well how crap they are in Downing Street.”
Whitehall fears over ‘disastrous’ fallout
Echoing these warnings, one Whitehall source told The Times there are serious concerns Lord Mandelson will “not go quietly” and that his departure could spark “some disastrous HR process” within government ranks. The veteran Labour politician’s deep knowledge of the party machinery and his legendary Machiavellian political skills have made him a formidable operator for decades.
New information has also revealed that the former US Ambassador “admitted he continued his relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein for many years” during his vetting interview for the position. Despite this admission, Starmer proceeded with the appointment in December 2024, raising questions about the Prime Minister’s judgement.
Lord Mandelson was reported to have told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for soliciting prostitution from a minor. He then wrote to the disgraced financier saying “I think the world of you” the day before Epstein began his sentence in June 2008, according to emails obtained by Bloomberg News.
The Foreign Office stated the decision to sack Lord Mandelson was made after emails showed “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”
Trump state visit approaches without UK ambassador
Lord Mandelson’s sacking means Britain has been left without a permanent ambassador to the US just six days before President Donald Trump arrives for his state visit. The US President will carry out a three-day State Visit to the UK from Tuesday 17 September to Thursday 19 September, becoming the first elected leader in modern times to enjoy two UK state visits.
King Charles III will host Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle for the unprecedented second visit, which includes a full ceremonial welcome and state banquet. The visit had been carefully orchestrated by Starmer’s government as part of efforts to maintain the “special relationship” and avoid damaging US tariffs.
It had previously been revealed that Mr Trump had invited Dame Karen Pierce, the former British ambassador to the US, to attend the State Banquet at Windsor Castle. Lord Mandelson was also expected to attend the State Banquet, but it is believed this will no longer be the case following his dismissal.
James Roscoe, who has been deputy head of mission at the embassy in Washington since July 2022, will serve as interim ambassador during the crucial state visit.
Damaging emails revealed extent of relationship
The scandal erupted after Democrats on the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a 50th birthday album compiled in 2003 for Epstein, in which Mandelson had written a handwritten note calling the financier “my best pal.” The message appeared alongside a photograph of Mandelson in a bathrobe chatting with Epstein.
Further emails published by Bloomberg revealed that in June 2008, whilst Epstein was facing charges, Lord Mandelson wrote: “Your friends stay with you and love you.” The messages showed the British ambassador urged Epstein to “fight for early release” after accepting his plea deal with Florida prosecutors.
In one particularly damaging email from June 2009, Epstein boasted to JPMorgan Chase executive Jes Staley about Mandelson’s influence, writing: “for all intends and purposes peter mandelson is now deputy prime minister.” At the time, Mandelson had recently been appointed to the House of Lords and served as Business Secretary in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet.
Political fallout intensifies
In a letter to embassy staff following his dismissal, Mandelson described his 213-day tenure as ambassador as the “privilege of my life.” He wrote: “The circumstances surrounding the announcement today are ones which I deeply regret. I continue to feel utterly awful about my association with Epstein twenty years ago and the plight of his victims.”
He added he had “no alternative” to accepting Starmer’s decision, marking the end of a diplomatic appointment that had begun in February 2025 with high hopes of navigating the complexities of Trump’s Washington.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey responded to the sacking by saying: “The prime minister now needs to appoint an ambassador who will stand up to Trump, not cosy up to him and his cronies. He also needs to come before Parliament and explain why Lord Mandelson was appointed in the first place, given everything the government knew then.”
Pattern of government resignations
Lord Mandelson’s departure represents the latest in a series of damaging resignations that have rocked Starmer’s government. Just last week, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned after admitting she underpaid stamp duty by £40,000 on an £800,000 flat in Hove, East Sussex.
Last month, homelessness minister Rushanara Ali quit following revelations she had evicted tenants from her east London townhouse before relisting it for £700 more per month, contradicting Labour’s stance on tenant protections.
The string of scandals has created what critics describe as a government “lurching from one crisis to another,” with Starmer’s judgement increasingly under scrutiny less than two years after Labour’s landslide election victory in July 2024.
Mandelson’s storied political career
Lord Mandelson, 71, has been a central figure in Labour politics for four decades. As the party’s director of communications in the 1980s, he helped transform Labour into the “New Labour” project that won a landslide under Tony Blair in 1997. His political nickname, the “Prince of Darkness,” reflected his reputation for ruthless political manoeuvring and media manipulation.
He served in multiple Cabinet positions under Blair and Gordon Brown, including Secretary of State for Business and Trade, and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. He was forced to resign twice from ministerial positions – in 1998 and 2001 – over separate controversies, but each time managed to resurrect his political career.
After serving as European Commissioner for Trade from 2004 to 2008, he returned to British politics under Gordon Brown, becoming First Secretary of State. Following Labour’s 2010 election defeat, he co-founded Global Counsel, a lobbying firm, whilst maintaining significant influence within Labour circles.
What happens next
With Trump’s state visit just days away, the government faces the immediate challenge of managing crucial diplomatic relations without a permanent ambassador in place. The President’s visit, scheduled for 17-19 September, will include meetings with Starmer at Chequers and a state banquet at Windsor Castle.
For Lord Mandelson, the question remains whether he will indeed seek the political revenge his allies have warned about. His deep knowledge of Labour’s internal workings, combined with his extensive political network and media connections, could prove damaging to an already embattled Prime Minister.
The scandal has also renewed questions about vetting procedures for senior diplomatic appointments and the extent to which Epstein’s connections continue to reverberate through British and American political establishments years after his death in prison in 2019.
As one former Cabinet colleague observed: “Peter never forgets a slight. The question isn’t whether he’ll strike back, but when and how devastatingly.”
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Image Credit:
Peter Mandelson speaking at the Policy Network “Politics of Climate Change” event (5 June 2009) — photo by Policy Network, licensed CC BY-2.0.
