Jonathan Powell Warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer About Mandelson’s Ties To Jeffrey Epstein, Documents Show

Documents published by the British government on 11 March 2026 show that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had been warned that appointing Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States posed a reputational “risk” because of Mandelson’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“The British government will begin releasing on Wednesday the first set of official documents related to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the British ambassador in Washington in December 2024, a decision that has been under intense political and parliamentary scrutiny for months due to the veteran Labour figure’s well‑known ties to the US financier convicted of sex offenses, Jeffrey Epstein”

ABC

Mandelson was recalled from Washington in September 2025 after new information surfaced.

ABC

The release was the first tranche of files ordered by Parliament amid intense scrutiny of the vetting process and an appointment that weakened the prime minister.

The pre‑appointment "due diligence" and accompanying notes cited in the released tranche explicitly flagged Mandelson’s continuing contacts with Epstein after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.

Officials’ checklists and reports say the relationship "continued between 2009 and 2011," and that Mandelson "allegedly stayed at Epstein’s house while he was in prison in June 2009."

BBC

The files also reference a 2019 JP Morgan report describing Epstein’s "particularly close" relationship with Mandelson, and these items formed the basis for an internal warning of reputational risk.

A contemporaneous note of a call on 12 September 2025 shows the Prime Minister’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, told colleagues he had raised concerns about Mandelson.

“Il a été arrêté et interrogé à ce sujet, avant d'être libéré sous caution”

Blick

Powell found the appointment process "weirdly" or "strangely rushed," and said he had raised "concerns about the individual and reputation" to Sir Keir’s then‑chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.

Officials also recorded that Philip Barton had "reservations around the appointment," and those internal alarms contributed to political fallout including senior resignations.

Keir Starmer has said that Peter Mandelson had "repeatedly lied" to Downing Street about the extent of his links to Epstein.

Darren Jones told MPs the released documents "did not reveal the depth and extent" of the relationship.

diariodeleon.es

The controversy prompted resignations at Downing Street, an internal Labour rebellion that threatened Starmer’s position, and legal and disciplinary complications for Mandelson, who is under police investigation and faced questions about a negotiated settlement described as the quickest way to remove him.

Some documents remain withheld at the request of investigators: the Metropolitan Police asked the government not to release files that could disrupt its investigation.

“The British government publishes the first documents on Mandelson’s appointment despite his relationship with Epstein Among the files to be released this Wednesday are expected to be correspondence between officials and cabinet members, Downing Street and the Foreign Office, and reports prepared prior to the appointment The British government will begin releasing on Wednesday the first set of official documents related to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Britain’s ambassador to the United States in December 2024, a decision that has been under intense political and parliamentary scrutiny for months because of the veteran Labour figure’s known ties to the US financier convicted of sexual offenses, Jeffrey Epstein”

El Comercio

Officials said the initial tranche is only a portion of material that will be published later in coordination with police and parliamentary procedures.

El Comercio

Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee and Number 10 have said further records will follow within the limits set by the ongoing probe.