海角社区官网

Doughty said the emails showed that the 鈥渄epth and extent鈥� of Mandelson鈥檚 relationship with Epstein was 鈥渕aterially different鈥� from what was known when he was appointed ambassador to Washington last year in the wake of the Labour Party鈥檚 election victory.

Mandelson, who took up his post in February this year after what the government described as an 鈥渆xtensive鈥� vetting process, has voiced his deep regret over his previous links with Epstein and said he knew nothing about his criminal activities.

鈥淚n light of the additional information in the emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador to the United States,鈥� Doughty said.

In particular, he pointed to Mandelson鈥檚 suggestion that Epstein鈥檚 first conviction in 2008 was 鈥渨rongful and should be challenged.”

On Wednesday, The Sun newspaper published emails that it said showed Mandelson telling Epstein to 鈥渇ight for early release鈥� shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

鈥淚 think the world of you,鈥� Mandelson told him before he began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor.

The decision to fire Mandelson comes just a day after Starmer said he had 鈥渃onfidence鈥� in him. It鈥檚 the latest blow to the prime minister ahead of a state visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to the U.K. next week, which is likely to be met with protests and some controversy. Last week Starmer also saw his deputy, , quit over a tax error on a home purchase.

The government said James Roscoe, the U.K. deputy head of mission in Washington, will serve as interim ambassador and oversee Trump鈥檚 state visit. Roscoe is a career diplomat and former communications chief to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Starmer’s judgment is being increasingly questioned, particularly over his appointment of Mandelson, who is no stranger to controversy, having twice resigned from former Prime Minister Tony Blair鈥檚 government in 1998 and 2001.

In the wake of his second resignation from Blair’s government, Mandelson became a European Commissioner when Britain was still in the European Union, before returning to front line British politics in 2008 to serve under Blair鈥檚 successor, Gordon Brown.

Mandelson鈥檚 trade expertise was considered a major asset in trying to persuade the Trump administration not to slap heavy tariffs on British goods, and seemed to pay off when the countries struck a trade deal in May, though some details of the agreement have yet to be finalized.

He is also a skilled 鈥� critics say ruthless 鈥� political operator whose mastery of political intrigue brought him the nickname 鈥淧rince of Darkness.鈥�

It鈥檚 rare for a politician, rather than a career civil servant, to be given a key U.K. ambassadorial post. The center-left former lawmaker was not an obvious emissary to the Trump administration. Mandelson once called Trump a 鈥渄anger to the world鈥� 鈥� words he later said were 鈥渋ll-judged and wrong.鈥�

The focus on Mandelson over his links to Epstein accentuated this week after the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a , who at the time was a wealthy and well-connected financier. In that album, Mandelson called Epstein 鈥渕y best pal” in a handwritten note.

to the album that was compiled by British convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell were Trump himself, former President Bill Clinton and attorney Alan Dershowitz in a 鈥渇riends鈥� section, and included other letters with sexually provocative language.

Epstein took his own life in prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, more than a decade after his conviction.

____

Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.