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Mandelson breaks silence on Epstein ties after sacking
Former UK ambassador to the US Lord Peter Mandelson has stated he never witnessed underage girls at Jeffrey Epstein's properties and declined to offer a direct apology to the late financier's victims, insisting he was unaware of Epstein's crimes.
No apology for maintaining friendship
In his first interview since being dismissed from his diplomatic post, Mandelson told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that he had no knowledge of Epstein's sexual exploitation of minors. When asked if he would apologise to Epstein's victims, he responded: "I want to apologise to those women for a system that refused to hear their voices and did not give them the protection they were entitled to expect."
He added that he would have apologised if he had been "in any way complicit or culpable," but maintained he was neither. "That system gave him protection and not them," he said, referring to Epstein's ability to evade accountability.
Claims of being 'kept separate' from Epstein's crimes
Mandelson suggested he was shielded from Epstein's predatory behaviour due to his own sexuality. "Possibly some people will think because I am a gay man... I wasn't attuned to what was going on. I don't really accept that," he said. "I think the issue is that because I was a gay man in his circle, I was kept separate from what he was doing in the sexual side of his life."
He described visits to Epstein's properties, including his private island, New York residence, and New Mexico home, where he claimed the only people present were "middle-aged housekeepers." "Never were there any young women or girls, or people that he was preying on," he said.
Emails led to swift dismissal
Mandelson was removed from his ambassadorial role after emails surfaced showing he had sent supportive messages to Epstein following his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. In one message, he urged Epstein to "fight for early release," while another, sent the day before Epstein's prison sentence began, read: "I think the world of you."
Downing Street stated the emails revealed the "depth and extent" of their relationship was "materially different" from what was known during his appointment. A government source said Mandelson had been "economical with the truth" about the nature of their ties.
Mandelson acknowledged the emails were a surprise to him as well, claiming they had been deleted from his server and that he did not recall sending them. He expressed understanding for his dismissal but said he wished he had been given the chance to explain the context of his relationship with Epstein.
Criticism and political fallout
Labour's Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander criticised Mandelson's remarks as showing "at best, deep naivety." She argued that a direct apology to Epstein's victims would have been more appropriate. "It would have gone a long way for the women who were subjected to the most appalling treatment," she said.
Alexander also noted that while due diligence was necessary for high-profile appointments, the full extent of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein was not known at the time of his appointment.
Mandelson's broader political reflections
During the interview, Mandelson also commented on US President Donald Trump's controversial remarks about Greenland, stating he did not believe Trump would attempt to annex the territory by force. "He's not going to do that," he said, adding that Trump's advisers would likely dissuade him from such actions.
He acknowledged Trump's blunt rhetoric but framed it as a response to global power struggles, particularly between the US and China. "If you want peace, you get peace through strength, but also sometimes you'll have to use force as well," he said.
"We've got to understand that and not simply react the whole time to the language he uses."
Lord Peter Mandelson
Career marked by controversy
A key figure in New Labour, Mandelson has held multiple ministerial positions under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. His political career has been punctuated by resignations, including two from government roles before Labour's 2010 election defeat. His tenure as US ambassador lasted only a few months before his links to Epstein led to his removal.
