Sep 12, 2025 07:37 PM
Epstein paid for Mandelson's travel in 2003, documents show
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrjd2kxw2lo
INTRO: Jeffrey Epstein paid for Lord Mandelson's travel on two separate occasions in 2003 totalling more than $7,400 (£5,400), according to documents released by the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee. Mandelson was sacked as the UK's ambassador to the US on Thursday over his links to the late convicted paedophile.
The government said the "depth and extent" of Mandelson's relationship with the financier had not been known when he was appointed last year. This is the first time financial evidence of Epstein paying for Mandelson's travel has come to light. The BBC has contacted Mandelson for a response.
Just months after Mandelson contributed a 10-page note to Epstein's 2003 "50th birthday book", in which he referred to Epstein as his "best pal", Epstein paid for Mandelson's travel. It is unclear where and when Mandelson's travel took place... (MORE - details)
Starmer under scrutiny as Mandelson ‘admitted long ties with Epstein in vetting’
https://nation.cymru/news/starmer-under-...n-vetting/
INTRO: Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting questions over what he knew and when of Lord Peter Mandelson’s ties with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed the now-sacked peer as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
The Prime Minister, who picked the Labour grandee for the Washington job, withdrew him on Thursday after emails showed he sent supportive messages even as Epstein faced jail for sex offences.
Sir Keir had defended Lord Mandelson until the emergence of the emails, insisting he had gone through a proper vetting process. But allies of the peer told The Times that he admitted in his vetting interview that he continued his relationship with Epstein for many years.
That is likely to fuel calls for the Prime Minister to clarify what warnings he was given before making the appointment, as well as concerns about his political judgment.
It is the second scandal-hit departure for the Government in a week after Angela Rayner quit over her tax affairs... (MORE - details)
Sir Keir Starmer must escape the ‘chaos and confusion’ that brought down the Tories
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edi...25493.html
EXCERPTS: Just under a fortnight ago, a tanned and unusually ebullient Sir Keir Starmer gathered together his staff in No 10 to launch “phase two” of his government. He gave them a pep talk. It was released as a video, and it hasn’t aged well.
“We’re going to phase two in good spirits – confident, and with conviction about what we’re doing. It needs a more powerful No 10, so we’ve added to the team some really important new members, and made a number of other changes. But this is about focus on delivery,” the PM declared, purposefully.
As they say on social media: “How’s that going, Keir?”
Rather than the “focus on delivery” – about which the prime minister was right – the focus has been on Angela Rayner’s tax affairs, her resignation as deputy prime minister, Peter Mandelson’s apparently overly devoted loyalty to Jeffrey Epstein, his resignation as ambassador in Washington and, ironically enough, the seemingly dysfunctional ways of the newly beefed-up No 10 machine.
[...] The prime minister remains central to the success of the Labour government he did so much to bring about, against seemingly insuperable barriers when he took over in 2020. He needs to regain his equilibrium, find his voice, and give strong identity to his administration. Part of the job of political persuasion can be achieved by better communications, but much more by tangible evidence of delivery by individual ministers and departments... (MORE - details)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrjd2kxw2lo
INTRO: Jeffrey Epstein paid for Lord Mandelson's travel on two separate occasions in 2003 totalling more than $7,400 (£5,400), according to documents released by the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee. Mandelson was sacked as the UK's ambassador to the US on Thursday over his links to the late convicted paedophile.
The government said the "depth and extent" of Mandelson's relationship with the financier had not been known when he was appointed last year. This is the first time financial evidence of Epstein paying for Mandelson's travel has come to light. The BBC has contacted Mandelson for a response.
Just months after Mandelson contributed a 10-page note to Epstein's 2003 "50th birthday book", in which he referred to Epstein as his "best pal", Epstein paid for Mandelson's travel. It is unclear where and when Mandelson's travel took place... (MORE - details)
Starmer under scrutiny as Mandelson ‘admitted long ties with Epstein in vetting’
https://nation.cymru/news/starmer-under-...n-vetting/
INTRO: Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting questions over what he knew and when of Lord Peter Mandelson’s ties with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed the now-sacked peer as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
The Prime Minister, who picked the Labour grandee for the Washington job, withdrew him on Thursday after emails showed he sent supportive messages even as Epstein faced jail for sex offences.
Sir Keir had defended Lord Mandelson until the emergence of the emails, insisting he had gone through a proper vetting process. But allies of the peer told The Times that he admitted in his vetting interview that he continued his relationship with Epstein for many years.
That is likely to fuel calls for the Prime Minister to clarify what warnings he was given before making the appointment, as well as concerns about his political judgment.
It is the second scandal-hit departure for the Government in a week after Angela Rayner quit over her tax affairs... (MORE - details)
Sir Keir Starmer must escape the ‘chaos and confusion’ that brought down the Tories
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edi...25493.html
EXCERPTS: Just under a fortnight ago, a tanned and unusually ebullient Sir Keir Starmer gathered together his staff in No 10 to launch “phase two” of his government. He gave them a pep talk. It was released as a video, and it hasn’t aged well.
“We’re going to phase two in good spirits – confident, and with conviction about what we’re doing. It needs a more powerful No 10, so we’ve added to the team some really important new members, and made a number of other changes. But this is about focus on delivery,” the PM declared, purposefully.
As they say on social media: “How’s that going, Keir?”
Rather than the “focus on delivery” – about which the prime minister was right – the focus has been on Angela Rayner’s tax affairs, her resignation as deputy prime minister, Peter Mandelson’s apparently overly devoted loyalty to Jeffrey Epstein, his resignation as ambassador in Washington and, ironically enough, the seemingly dysfunctional ways of the newly beefed-up No 10 machine.
[...] The prime minister remains central to the success of the Labour government he did so much to bring about, against seemingly insuperable barriers when he took over in 2020. He needs to regain his equilibrium, find his voice, and give strong identity to his administration. Part of the job of political persuasion can be achieved by better communications, but much more by tangible evidence of delivery by individual ministers and departments... (MORE - details)