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A colleague from the British Labor Party Peter Mandelson resigned from the Labor Party his association with a convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epsteinand Prime Minister Keir Starmer has hinted that he could be stripped of his “lord” title.
Mandelson appeared in the latest issue Epstein fileswhich prompted an investigation into his conduct while serving under former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009.
The British Cabinet Secretary will investigate Mandelson’s actions when Labor was last in power, Downing Street announced on Monday.
Recently published documents show that Epstein made three separate payments of $25,000 to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004, according to the BBC.
Emails in Epstein’s files also suggest that Mandelson, when he was business secretary under Brown in 2009, forwarded to Epstein an internal government email from Brown’s policy adviser, Nick Butler, about the UK’s struggling economy.
In a letter to Labor’s general secretary on Sunday, Mandelson resigned, writing: “This weekend I have been further associated with the understandable furor over Jeffrey Epstein and regret and regret it.”
“I have to investigate claims, which I believe are false, that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, of which I have no record or recollection. While doing so, I do not wish to further embarrass the Labor Party and therefore stand down from the party.
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“I want to take this opportunity to reiterate my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long ago.
“I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labor Party and in making my decision I believe I am acting in its best interests.”
The latest mention of Mandelson follows last year’s revelation of correspondence between him and the disgraced financier, including a note wrote to Epstein calling him his “best friend”, leading to his removal as British ambassador to the US
Part of a note Peter Mandelson wrote to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday.
US Oversight Committee
Despite the previous dismissal, a spokesman for the prime minister he told the BBC on Monday that Starmer could not remove Mandelson from the House of Lords.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister believes that Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords or use that title. However, the Prime Minister does not have the power to remove her.”
Downing Street added that if Mandelson is called to testify before the US Congress, he should agree.
Stripping Mandelson of his title would be a complex, lengthy process that would require changes to the law, which have not been enacted for 100 years. Under current legislation, those appointed to the House of Lords inherit the peerage for life, but can voluntarily resign.
Starmer believes that modernizing disciplinary procedures would make it easier to remove disgraced members, including the introduction of a conduct watchdog committee in the government’s upper house.
“The prime minister has always said that anyone who has information should be prepared to share that information,” added a Downing Street spokesman. “You can’t be focused on sacrifice if you’re not willing to do it.”
When new details of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein emerged last year, a Labor peer said he “very, very deeply regrets” his association with the late New York businessman.
“I fell for his lies,” he said during the interview with British journalist Harry Cole.
“I caved and accepted the assurances he gave me about his indictment, his original criminal case in Florida. Like many others, I took it for granted,” Mandelson continued, referring to Epstein’s 2009 conviction for solicitation of underage prostitution.
Mandelson said at the time that he expected more correspondence between him and Epstein to emerge in various releases of the “Epstein files”.
“We know it’s going to come out, we know it’s going to be very embarrassing, and they know I’m going to deeply regret meeting him and meeting him at all, but I can’t rewrite history,” he said.
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