Mandelson apologises for continuing Epstein friendship

Lord Mandelson has issued a personal apology to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein regarding his ongoing friendship with the convicted sex offender. This development comes after the former cabinet minister initially faced criticism for restricting his weekend apology to addressing only the system failures that allowed abuse to happen. On Monday evening in a statement to BBC Newsnight, Mandelson expressed regret for believing Epstein’s lies even after his conviction and for maintaining contact afterward, saying, “I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered.”

The UK government took the step of dismissing Mandelson from his role as ambassador to the United States last September, citing “new information” related to his links with Epstein. It was revealed through emails that Mandelson continued to communicate with Epstein following the financier’s first conviction in 2008. In these messages, Mandelson had encouraged Epstein to clear his name. Epstein’s 2008 conviction resulted from a plea deal in Florida, where he served an 18-month sentence after admitting guilt to charges including soliciting minors for prostitution. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on additional sex trafficking accusations.

In his first televised interview after losing the ambassadorial post, conducted by Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One, Mandelson initially refrained from apologizing for his maintained friendship, insisting that he would have done so if he had any involvement in Epstein’s crimes. He also stated that he believed he was kept “separate” from Epstein’s illicit activities due to his own sexual orientation and denied witnessing any young girls at Epstein’s residences. The interview sparked strong reactions within the government, with one cabinet minister labeling Mandelson “persona non grata” and another describing the appearance as “horrendous and toe curling.”

Following the backlash, Mandelson expanded his apology in a later statement to Newsnight, emphasizing that while he was not culpable or complicit, he recognized the victims’ voices had been ignored. He admitted, “I am sorry I was amongst those who believed him over them.” Labour peer Baroness Kennedy voiced shock at Mandelson’s initial reluctance to apologize, stating, “Somebody like Peter Mandelson should have known better than to go on television and not to be apologising to those women who have suffered so terribly.” She welcomed his subsequent apology but highlighted the impact of his earlier response

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