Keir Starmer made the decision to sack Peter Mandelson as the UK’s representative in Washington on Thursday, following the emergence of deeply troubling emails exchanged between Mandelson and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision followed a growing political storm and raised significant questions about the timeline of information disclosure to the Prime Minister and his top team.

The emails, dating back to 2008, revealed highly supportive messages from Mandelson to Epstein. Passages included Mandelson telling Epstein “your friends stay with you and love you” while the financier was facing jail for sex offences. He also advised Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before his sentencing and reportedly told him “I think the world of you” the day before Epstein began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty later stated that the depth and extent of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, including his suggestion that Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful, was “materially different from that known at the time of his appointment” and constituted “new information.”

The controversy intensified due to the delayed awareness of these details by the Prime Minister. The Foreign Office received a media enquiry outlining the messages on Tuesday, which was subsequently passed to No 10. Sir Oliver Robbins, the permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, reportedly questioned Mandelson about the emails but did not receive a response until Wednesday afternoon. Critically, Starmer, during Prime Minister’s Questions at midday on Wednesday, expressed confidence in Mandelson, unaware of the full content of the emails. He is understood not to have become aware of the contents until Wednesday evening. The decision to sack Mandelson with immediate effect was taken on Thursday morning, following Starmer’s review of the new material, during a meeting with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein was known before his appointment, and he reportedly admitted in his vetting interview that he continued his relationship with the convicted sex offender for many years. However, the damning emails themselves originated from a long-deleted account and were therefore not available during the Foreign Office’s initial vetting process for the ambassadorial role.

The revelations triggered a severe backlash. Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, accused Starmer and Labour MPs of “lying to the whole country about what they knew regarding Mandelson’s involvement with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein,” demanding full transparency. Within Labour, backbenchers expressed dismay. Olivia Blake described the reports of Starmer’s delayed notification as “really embarrassing” and criticized a perceived failure in information gatekeeping to the Prime Minister. Clive Lewis publicly questioned Starmer’s leadership, suggesting he did not seem “up to the job,” while Barry Gardiner noted “toxic” resentment festering among party members. Lucy Powell, a candidate for Labour’s deputy leader, called for a “change of culture” and an end to “groupthink” at the top of the party.

The incident also brought scrutiny upon Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who was reported to have lobbied for Mandelson’s appointment, prompting questions about his judgment. Downing Street maintained that Starmer has “confidence in his top team.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, however, backed Starmer’s “strong leadership” and affirmed that the decision to sack Mandelson was “rightly taken.” This controversy marked the second scandal-hit departure for the government in a week, following Angela Rayner’s resignation over her tax affairs, further intensifying pressure on Starmer’s leadership.