One of the most influential veterans of British politics, Peter Mandelson, has announced his resignation from the Labour Party, seeking, in his words, “to avoid causing further damage” amid new publications related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Former British ambassador to the US and ex-European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson has left the ruling Labour Party due to a scandal related to his contacts with American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The 72-year-old member of the House of Lords announced his decision in a letter to the party’s secretary general, Holly Ridley.
“While I conduct this investigation, I do not wish to cause additional embarrassment to the Labour Party. Therefore, I am resigning from the party,” he told media.
The reason for the new round of scandal was the publication on January 30 by the US Department of Justice of the full set of documents on the Epstein case. According to media reports, one of the documents contains an allegation that Mandelson allegedly received $75,000 from the financier. The politician himself stated that he had “no records or recollections” of receiving such sums.
In September 2025, the partial disclosure of the Epstein dossier had already led to Mandelson’s resignation as British ambassador to the US. The published excerpts from the album, prepared for Epstein’s 50th birthday, featured letters and photographs of Mandelson.
In one of the photos, he is pictured in a bathrobe, and in the caption he calls Epstein his “best friend.” Mandelson was appointed ambassador to Washington in February 2025 and was considered one of the key figures in the Labour Party.
His political career includes serving as a Member of Parliament from 1992 to 2004, Minister for Northern Ireland in Tony Blair’s government, European Commissioner for Trade, and head of the Department for Business and Trade in Gordon Brown’s cabinet. In 2008, he was appointed to the House of Lords.
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in New York in July, 2019 on charges of organising the sexual exploitation of minors. Investigators alleged that between 2002 and 2005, he brought dozens of girls, the youngest of who was 14, to his home in Manhattan. The criminal case was dropped after the financier committed suicide in his prison cell in August, 2019.
The scandal surrounding Epstein affected a wide circle of his acquaintances, from major entrepreneurs and celebrities to current and former politicians, including former US President Bill Clinton, incumbent US President Donald Trump, and the brother of British King Charles III, former Prince Andrew.
