More embarrassing Epstein exchanges to come, says Mandelson

The UK's ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, has said he believes further "embarrassing" correspondence between himself and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein will be published.

On Tuesday, US lawmakers released a number of documents which included a letter from Lord Mandelson in which he called Epstein his "best pal".

Speaking to the You Tube channel Harry Cole Saves the West, the diplomat said it was "very embarrassing" to see the words published but added they were written "over 20 years ago".

He said he felt "a tremendous sense of regret" over his friendship with Epstein, and a "tremendous sense of sympathy" for his victims.

He likened his association with Epstein to "an albatross around my neck", adding he felt "profoundly upset that I was taken in" by a "charismatic criminal liar".

"I regret very, very deeply indeed carrying on that association with him for far longer than I should have done."

On Tuesday, a Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister still had confidence in Lord Mandelson, adding he had "played a key part" strengthening trade and investment with the US, which had secured jobs in the UK.

Lord Mandelson is highly rated in Downing Street because of his ability to work with the Trump administration.

But his past relationship is awkward for the prime minister. Sir Keir Starmer is likely to face further questions about how much he knew about the relationship between Epstein and Lord Mandelson when he appointed the latter to his role as ambassador.

A key question will be over Lord Mandelson's judgment – remaining friends with Epstein after it first emerged he had been investigated.

The difficult questions for the government are likely to continue if, as Lord Mandelson suggests, there are more details to come.

Lord Mandelson (left) wrote that Jeffrey Epstein (right) "remains my best pal" alongside the picture

Epstein had been a well-connected financier who was convicted in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a person under the age of 18 in 2008. He died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Lord Mandelson said he did not believe he was "named in the Epstein files" - the term that has been given to documents gathered during criminal investigations into Epstein.

However, he said he had no doubt there had been "a lot of traffic, correspondence, exchanges" between himself and Epstein.

"We know they're going to surface, we know they're going to come out, they're going to be embarrassing," he added.

Asked why he continued his friendship with Epstein, Lord Mandelson said he "fell for his lies".

"I accepted assurances he had given me about his original indictment, his original criminal case in Florida. Like very many people I took at face value what he said."

He said he never saw wrongdoing at any point while with Epstein and he "never sought, nor did [Epstein] offer introductions to women in the way that he did to others, perhaps it is because I am a gay man".

He said he couldn't "rewrite history" adding: "What I can do, what I can do is express my profound sympathy for those who were badly treated by him."

Asked if he had ever done business deals with Epstein, Lord Mandelson said: "He operated in a financial and business way, way above my level.

"Yes, he was always saying: 'Would you like to see so and so, I've got this friend, I'm having this dinner. Would you like to come?'

"He was a prolific social networker and a political networker."

Lord Mandelson has been in and out of British politics for four decades. He was instrumental in the New Labour project which saw Tony Blair win the 1997 election with a huge landslide.

He was a minister in different departments in the government until 2010, when Labour lost power and during that time earned a reputation for bouncing back after twice being forced to resign his ministerial positions.

A picture understood to have been taken on the Caribbean island of St Barts in 2006

Mandelson's connection with Epstein had previously been made public. In 2019 an internal report by the bank JP Morgan said Epstein kept "a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government".

The messages from Mandelson was one of a number of documents in an alleged "birthday book" given to Epstein in 2003 to celebrate his 50th birthday.

Mandelson's contribution included a series of short messages each accompanied by a photograph.

In one photo of a yellow parachute in the air, he wrote: "Once upon a time, an intelligent, sharp-witted man they call 'mysterious' parachuted into my life."

"You would spend many hours just waiting for him to turn up," he said, alongside a picture of what appears to be Lord Mandelson looking out at a garden from a balcony.

"And often, no sooner were you getting used to having him around, you would suddenly be alone... again," he added above a picture of a lone person canoeing in the sea at sunset.

"Leaving you with some 'interesting' friends to entertain instead," he writes on the next page, with a photo of Lord Mandelson preparing a dining table with two women whose faces have been obscured.

Lord Mandelson goes on to write that Epstein was known for "taking you by surprise... in one of his glorious homes he likes to share with his friends (yum yum)", alongside a single malt whiskey label and a picture of a tropical island.

On the next page, accompanied by a picture of the two chatting casually on a patio, he writes: "But whenever he is in the world, he remains my best pal!"

The book also contained messages, cards and photos sent by Epstein's friends, including a letter carrying a signature resembling US President Donald Trump. Trump has denied writing the note.