Mandelson: How decades of influence secured role as Starmer's man in Washington

Mandelson: How decades of influence secured role as Starmer's man in Washington Submitted by Fleur Hargreaves on Fri, 05/08/2026 - 07:00 The 'almost hypnotic' Mandelson cast a spell over the Labour Party, becoming US ambassador despite failed vetting Keir Starmer (R) talks with Peter Mandelson, then UK ambassador to the US, during a welcome reception at the ambassador's residence on 26 February 2025 in Washington, DC (Carl Court/AFP) Off UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been mired in scandal over the political appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, after the Epstein files revealed his close and enduring friendship with the late paedophile financier. Mandelson was forced to resign in February and was later arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he passed on market-sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein. Then, senior civil servant Olly Robbins was fired from his post in the foreign office after being blamed for not informing the prime minister that Mandelson had failed security vetting.