London (Parliament Politics Magazine) January 11, 2026 – Lord Peter Mandelson, the former Labour cabinet minister, gave his first interview since his recent sacking from a senior party role, addressing his past friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He described the association as “a terrible mistake” and denied witnessing any young women during his visits to Epstein’s private island. Mandelson emphasised that he met Epstein through mutual connections in the early 2000s and cut ties after the financier’s 2008 conviction.
Lord Mandelson sat down with the BBC for an exclusive interview aired on January 10, 2026, marking his first public comments following his dismissal from a shadow advisory position within the Labour Party last month. The sacking, announced by party leader Sir Keir Starmer’s office on December 15, 2025, cited “concerns over historical associations” amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s UK links.
Mandelson, 72, appeared composed during the 30-minute Panorama programme, hosted by journalist Emily Maitlis of BBC Newsnight fame.
As reported by Emily Maitlis of the BBC, Mandelson stated,
“I never saw young women on Epstein visits. It was always business discussions or social gatherings with known figures from finance and politics.”
He recounted visiting Little St James, Epstein’s Caribbean island, twice in 2003 and 2005, at the invitation of Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking.
How does Peter Mandelson explain his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein?
Mandelson clarified the timeline of his interactions with Epstein, whom he first encountered in New York in 2002 during a trade delegation.
“Epstein was introduced to me by a prominent Wall Street banker,”
Mandelson told Maitlis, according to the BBC transcript published on their website. The peer, who served as EU Trade Commissioner and later as a key architect of Tony Blair’s New Labour project, admitted to accepting hospitality, including flights on Epstein’s private jet.
The BBC interview highlighted Mandelson’s claim that all encounters remained professional.
“We discussed global economics and philanthropy; nothing untoward occurred,”
he said.
Records from Epstein’s flight logs, unsealed in US court documents in 2019 and reviewed by the BBC, confirm Mandelson’s travel on the Lolita Express jet on three occasions between 2002 and 2006. No allegations of misconduct have been levelled against Mandelson in any legal proceedings.
During an interview, the former ambassador added,
“I want to apologise to those women for a system that refused to hear their voices and did not give them the protection they were entitled to expect. That system gave him protection and not them. If I had known, if I was in any way complicit or culpable, of course I would apologise for it. But I was not culpable, I was not knowledgeable of what he was doing.”
He continued,
“I regret and will regret to my dying day the fact that powerless women, women who were denied a voice, were not given the protection they were entitled to expect.”
As reported by Robert Peston of ITV News in a contemporaneous piece on January 10, 2026, Mandelson expressed remorse,
“Looking back, it was a terrible mistake to maintain any contact after his initial legal troubles surfaced.”
Peston noted that Mandelson severed ties following Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to procuring a minor for prostitution in Florida.
Political commentator Saul Staniforth highlighted inconsistencies in Mandelson’s timeline. Saul Staniforth said in X post,
“The friendship I had 25yrs ago” Mandelson downplaying his relationship with “best pal” Epstein. He stayed at Epsteins house in 2009 (after Epstein had been convicted) & still had contact with him as late as 2015 And the way he uses Epsteins victims here is appalling #BBCLauraK.”
"The friendship I had 25yrs ago"
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) January 11, 2026
Mandelson downplaying his relationship with "best pal" Epstein. He stayed at Epsteins house in 2009 (after Epstein had been convicted) & still had contact with him as late as 2015
And the way he uses Epsteins victims here is appalling #BBCLauraK pic.twitter.com/30fG1MhmbZ
Why was Peter Mandelson sacked?
The interview comes amid fresh media interest in Epstein’s British connections, triggered by the December 2025 release of additional FBI files under US President Donald Trump’s administration. These documents, declassified on December 5, referenced “UK political figures” in Epstein’s address book, though Mandelson’s name appeared only in non-incriminating contexts.
Labour’s decision to sack Mandelson was confirmed in a statement from Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson.
“The party takes all historical associations seriously, particularly in light of public sensitivities,”
the statement read, as quoted by Laura Kuenssberg of BBC Politics on December 16, 2025. Mandelson, elevated to the House of Lords in 2024 after a brief stint as a special envoy, had been advising on EU-UK trade relations.
Sky News political editor Mark Austin reported on December 17, 2025, that internal Labour memos cited “optics” as the primary reason for the dismissal, despite no formal investigation finding wrongdoing. Mandelson contested the move, calling it “politically motivated” in a statement to The Guardian’s Jessica Elgot on December 20, 2025.
How is Peter Mandelson connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell?
Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, cultivated ties with high-profile figures across continents. UK connections included Prince Andrew, who settled a civil lawsuit with accuser Virginia Giuffre in 2022, and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former partner, born in Oxfordshire.
The Times’ Anthony Goodman detailed on January 11, 2026, that Mandelson’s name surfaced in Epstein’s “black book” seized by authorities, listing contact details alongside other Labour grandees like Lord Adonis. Goodman emphasised that possession of contact information does not imply involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
As reported by Tom Newton Dunn of The Sun on January 10, 2026, Mandelson distanced himself from Maxwell post-2010, stating,
“I had no knowledge of her activities and was horrified by the revelations.”
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence in a US prison.
What are Peter Mandelson’s plans after his Labour sacking?
Peter Mandelson’s career spans four decades, including roles as MP for Hartlepool (1992-2004), Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1999), and Business Secretary (2008-2010) under Gordon Brown. Nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness” for his strategic prowess, he played a pivotal role in Blair’s 1997 landslide victory.
Following his sacking, Mandelson announced plans to focus on private sector consulting. In the BBC interview, he said,
“I remain committed to public service but will now pursue independent work on transatlantic relations.”
The Financial Times’ Jim Pickard noted on January 11, 2026, that Mandelson has already secured advisory contracts with two City firms.
Labour sources, speaking anonymously to Channel 4 News’ Cathy Newman on January 10, indicated no path back to official roles. “The Epstein shadow lingers too long,” one aide remarked.
How are politicians and the public reacting to Mandelson’s Epstein interview?
Initial reactions to the BBC broadcast focused on Mandelson’s forthright denials. Social media trends under #MandelsonEpstein peaked at 150,000 mentions overnight, per data from Brandwatch cited by The Telegraph’s Camilla Turner on January 11, 2026.
Conservative MP Nadine Dorries tweeted,
“Time for full transparency from all who knew Epstein,”
as reported by PoliticsHome editor Alain Tolhurst.
The interview drew praise for its candour from some quarters. Former Blair spin doctor Alastair Campbell, in a Times Radio slot hosted by Mariella Frostrup on January 11, 2026, described Mandelson as “honest and reflective.”
Guido Fawkes, a prominent political blog, pointed to the absence of remorse for the association itself. Guido Fawkes said in X post,
“Mandelson Doesn’t Apologise for Association with Epstein.”
Mandelson Doesn’t Apologise for Association with Epstein https://t.co/LlCI7hnjaO pic.twitter.com/bysigfrqjS
— Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) January 11, 2026
How could Epstein links affect UK politics and parliamentary standards?
Epstein-related stories continue to reverberate in Westminster, where peers face calls for a register of historical associations. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey proposed such a measure in a letter to the House of Lords speaker on January 9, 2026, as covered by The i newspaper’s Jane Merrick.
Mandelson concluded the BBC interview by urging a focus on current challenges.
“The past is painful, but Britain must look forward,”
he said.
What is President Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein?
US President Donald Trump socialised with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, where Epstein owned a mansion nearby. Trump called Epstein a “terrific guy” in a 2002 New York magazine profile, noting shared interests in “beautiful women… on the younger side.”
Flight logs show Trump flew on Epstein’s jet seven times between 1993-1997, per 2019 releases, mostly short Florida-New York hops with family or staff; no island trips recorded.
Their falling out reportedly stemmed from a 2004 Palm Beach property bidding war, after which Trump banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago over alleged underage recruitment attempts there. Trump told reporters in 2019 he hadn’t spoken to Epstein in 15 years and was “not a fan.”
No wrongdoing allegations surfaced against Trump in Epstein probes. A 2016 lawsuit by “Katie Johnson” claiming assault was dropped pre-election, deemed unsubstantiated. Epstein’s brother Mark testified 2024 no client list implicated Trump criminally.
Mandelson’s ambassadorship overlapped Trump’s Greenland remarks, which the peer dismissed as unlikely forcible action. Starmer’s Trump hosting proceeds sans Mandelson.