(London) British ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, was dismissed Thursday because of his bonds with the American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, one more setback for Prime Minister Keir Starmer before Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
The pressure has been riding Keir Starmer for several days, who had appointed Tony Blair’s “New Labor” in the 1990s, to try to consolidate his government and the new Trump administration.
Mail between the veteran of the 71 -year -old Labor Party and the American financier, who died in prison in 2019, revealed this week “show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relations with Jeffrey Epstein are significantly different from those known at the time of his appointment,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
“Given this, and by regard to the victims of Epstein crimes, he was dismissed as an ambassador with immediate effect,” added Foreign Office.
In a letter written by Peter Mandelson for the 50th anniversary of Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, and published at the start of the week by parliamentarians in Washington, the Briton says that the American financier is his “best friend”.
Asked after the publication of this letter, Prime Minister Keir Starmer had given him his support on Wednesday, assuring that Peter Mandelson had “expressed his deep regret several times to have been associated” with Jeffrey Epstein.
But this position quickly became untenable.
At the end of the day on Wednesday, British media, including the tabloid The Sun, reported that Mr. Mandelson had sent mails to support Jeffrey Epstein while the latter was prosecuted in Florida for minor traffic.
Just before Mr. Epstein pleads guilty to conclude an arrangement in this case in 2008, Peter Mandelson would have written to him: “I think a lot of you and I feel helpless and furious about what happened”, inciting him “() to fight for early release”.
“I really deeply regret having had this relationship with him much longer than I should have had,” tried to defend the ambassador in an interview broadcast on Wednesday on the Sun YouTube channel.
He said he had “never witnessed reprehensible acts” or “evidence of criminal activities”.
“Serious questions”
“The assertion of Peter Mandelson that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was unjustified and was to be challenged is new information,” said Foreign Office to explain the decision to dismiss him.
For Keir Starmer, this departure, less than a week before President Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom on September 17 and 18, is a new blow.
The Labor leader had to separate a few days ago from his vice-prime minister, Angela Rayner, carried away by a tax case, which sparked a government size reshuffle.
At the lowest in polls, Starmer is also in trouble to convince the British of the effectiveness of his policy, both economically and on the fight against immigration.
Three times Minister and European Commissioner, Peter Mandelson was the first political leader appointed ambassador to Washington, a post traditionally reserved for experienced diplomats.
This man of networks and influence, which earned him the nickname “Prince of Darkness”, had already fallen twice in the past due to accusations of reprehensible or compromising behaviors.
The conservative opposition Kemi Badenoch has castigated the “lack of courage” of Keir Starmer, who “still failed a test of his leadership”.
