“`html
Prior to appointing Lord Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US, Sir Keir Starmer specifically inquired about his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to BBC sources.
It is understood that the Prime Minister, via his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, posed three questions to Mandelson regarding his relationship with the disgraced financier during the consideration process for the influential ambassadorship.
These inquiries were initiated after an initial vetting process flagged the peer’s association with Epstein.
This revelation is expected to intensify scrutiny regarding Sir Keir’s knowledge before Mandelson’s appointment. While the pre-existing friendship with Epstein was known at the time, Downing Street has stated that new information surfaced this week, leading to his dismissal.
Both Downing Street and Lord Mandelson have declined to comment on the matter.
Mandelson’s departure from his post on Thursday followed the reporting of a cache of emails by Bloomberg on Wednesday evening.
These included supportive messages sent by Mandelson to Epstein after the latter pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.
Reportedly, one message from Mandelson encouraged Epstein to “fight for early release,” and on the eve of his prison sentence, another stated: “I think the world of you.”
These emails were not identified during two vetting processes conducted within Whitehall prior to his appointment.
The BBC has learned that when Mandelson was under consideration for the ambassadorship, the Cabinet Office’s Propriety and Ethics Team (PET) compiled a file for the Prime Minister, detailing information regarding Mandelson’s connections to Epstein.
Sources at Number 10 indicate that after reviewing the file, Sir Keir requested Mandelson to address three specific questions, communicated via email by Morgan McSweeney, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff.
These questions pertained to: the continuation of contact with Epstein post-conviction; reports of staying at one of Epstein’s residences while the financier was incarcerated; and association with a charity founded by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, which the financier had supported.
It is understood that Mandelson maintains he was truthful and forthcoming about his association with Epstein, informing Number 10 that he had not stayed at Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2009 during the latter’s imprisonment. Another source corroborated that Mandelson conveyed this to Downing Street.
However, court documents from 2023 revealed Epstein informing his private banker of Mandelson’s plans to stay, although the peer has neither explicitly confirmed nor denied the claim.
Sources within Number 10 believe Mandelson was “economical with the truth” in his responses to the three questions.
Nevertheless, at the time, his responses were deemed sufficient for his appointment, leading to a subsequent “developed vetting” (DV) process overseen by the Foreign Office.
The BBC understands that the emails in question were not accessible to government officials at the time of Lord Mandelson’s appointment, as they originated from a defunct email address.
According to a senior Whitehall figure, locating the messages would have been possible with more extensive questioning and in-depth background investigation.
The controversy has placed increasing pressure on Sir Keir regarding his judgment in appointing Mandelson as ambassador, and has raised questions about the extent of his awareness of the ties between Mandelson and Epstein.
Some Labour MPs are publicly and privately questioning whether Sir Keir should resign, and some suggest that senior aides at Number 10 are to blame.
Sources have informed the BBC that Mandelson was asked to resign on Wednesday, despite the Prime Minister’s public support for him at PMQs.
Mandelson refused, and after a “furious” Sir Keir reviewed the emails on Wednesday night, a final decision to dismiss him was made on Thursday morning.
The Cabinet Office has declined to comment. Mandelson has repeatedly expressed regret regarding his relationship with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.
Mandelson was dismissed as the UK’s ambassador to the US due to his connections with the deceased convicted sex offender.
The winning candidate – voted for by Labour members – will be announced on 25 October.
The Tories urge the PM to “come clean” on what he knew about Lord Mandelson’s links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The only other remaining candidate, Bell Riberio-Addy, failed to get enough support to progress in the contest.
Hull councillors will hold a vote on the title after the peer’s sacking as ambassador to the US.
“`