How the Mandelson affair caused a crisis for UK PM Starmer
Timeline and Key Events of the Mandelson Scandal
LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure over the vetting process for his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. Mandelson was later sacked over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Here is a timeline of the scandal and how the crisis engulfed Starmer's leadership.
Early Political Career and Previous Resignations
1990s-2000s - Mandelson's First Resignations from Government
A key figure in the Labour Party's success under Tony Blair, in 1998, Mandelson twice quit Blair's government after scandals. He returned to government under Blair's successor, Gordon Brown.
Appointment as Ambassador
2024 December - Mandelson Announced as Washington Ambassador
Starmer picked Mandelson to be Britain's ambassador to Washington, opting for a political appointee who he said would bring "unrivalled experience" to lead relations with the U.S. under Donald Trump, newly re-elected for a second term.
He took up the post in February 2025, after he was vetted.
Emergence of the Epstein Connection
2025 September 10 - Epstein Files Detail Links to Mandelson
After a birthday book was released including a letter purportedly from Mandelson describing Epstein as "my best pal", Mandelson said he deeply regretted ever meeting Epstein and carried on the association "for far longer than I should have done".
Starmer said he had confidence in Mandelson.
September 11 - Starmer Fires Mandelson
The next day, Starmer fired Mandelson as ambassador after newly released emails appeared to show that Mandelson had advised Epstein to fight for early release in 2008 when he was about to be sentenced to 18 months in jail for soliciting a minor.
The foreign ministry said the emails showed that the "depth and extent" of Mandelson's friendship with Epstein was "materially different from that known at the time of his appointment".
Escalation and Criminal Investigation
2026 February 1-3 - New Files Prompt Criminal Investigation
Fresh files appeared to show that Mandelson received money from Epstein and leaked a confidential government briefing to him.
Mandelson said he had no recollection of any payments but left the Labour Party to "prevent further embarrassment", while Starmer said Mandelson should be removed from Britain's upper house of parliament.
The following day, police launched an investigation over alleged misconduct in public office to examine whether Mandelson had leaked market-sensitive information to Epstein.
February 4 - Under Fire, Starmer Says Mandelson Lied
Starmer expressed regret for appointing Mandelson, saying Mandelson's relationship with Epstein came up during vetting but adding the former ambassador had "lied throughout the process" when asked about it.
February 8 - PM's Top Aide Quits Over Mandelson Advice
Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned, taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson.
The following day, the leader of Labour in Scotland called on Starmer to resign, but ministers rallied around the prime minister and he pledged to fight on.
February 23/24 - Mandelson Arrested and Released
Mandelson was arrested in London on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and was released the following day, pending further investigation.
Mandelson's lawyers said the arrest followed a "baseless suggestion" he was planning to leave the country.
Government Response and Document Releases
February 26 - Government Agrees to Publish Mandelson Docs
Starmer's government agreed a framework to release documents relating to Mandelson's appointment.
March 11 - First Tranche of Documents Published
The initial document release showed that Starmer was warned of risks regarding Mandelson's known association with Epstein, including a stay at the disgraced financier's house in 2009 while he was in jail. They also showed that a top adviser said he found the appointment process "weirdly rushed".
April 16/17 - Report That Mandelson Failed Security Vetting
The Guardian reported that Mandelson failed security vetting for the role but foreign ministry officials proceeded with the appointment anyway. Starmer then effectively fired the foreign ministry's top official, Olly Robbins.
The next day Starmer said it was "staggering" that neither he nor any other ministers had been told that Mandelson failed security vetting.
April 21-28
Testimony and Parliamentary Response
During testimony to lawmakers, Robbins confirmed that he approved Mandelson's appointment without informing Starmer of the security concerns flagged during the process, but added that he had faced "constant pressure" to confirm the appointment swiftly.
Starmer's ex-chief of staff McSweeney told lawmakers the following week that he took responsibility for the error of judgment for promoting Mandelson as the choice for ambassador, but he denied pushing officials to ignore procedures.
Lawmakers voted against ordering an inquiry into whether Starmer misled parliament in statements about the appointment.
June 1
Final Document Release
The government released a large tranche of documents on Mandelson's appointment, including WhatsApp exchanges between Mandelson and government ministers. The government said it would be the last release of documents, but many were heavily redacted by the government which cited national security reasons.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew Heavens)
