Peter Mandelson assured the British government it would “never regret” appointing him as ambassador to the United States, according to documents released on Monday, a pledge that was dramatically proven wrong within months.
More than 1,500 pages of files relating to the appointment of Mandelson, a friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as envoy to Washington at the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term, were released by the government to comply with a demand by lawmakers
They shed new light on the contentious decision and heap more embarrassment on beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Mandelson was fired after nine months and fallout from the misjudged appointment has left Starmer fighting for his job.
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Among the documents is a note from Mandelson to then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy, before his appointment, pledging that the government would “never regret” giving him the job.
“I fear that navigating Britain’s interests through the Trump administration will require superhuman skills and luck and a massive team effort,” Mandelson said in the November 2024 note. His appointment was announced the following month.
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A first trove of files published in March revealed ministers had been warned that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein exposed the government to “reputational risk”.