Lord Mandelson resigns Labour membership over Epstein links

Lord Peter Mandelson said he has resigned his membership of the Labour Party to avoid causing it “further embarrassment” following further revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The peer, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his links to Epstein, featured in documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday related to the paedophile financier.

Lord Mandelson said he had written on Sunday evening to Hollie Ridley, general secretary of the Labour Party to say he was stepping down from his party membership.

In his letter, he said: “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.

“Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.

“While doing this I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour Party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.”

Lord Mandelson said: “I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.

“I have dedicated my life to the values and success of the Labour Party and in taking my decision, I believe I am acting in its best interests.”

Documents from the release appear to show Lord Mandelson suggesting to Epstein in 2009 that he would lobby the UK government over the matter of bankers’ bonuses.

An email dated December 15, 2009, which appears to be from Epstein, reads: “any real chance of making the tax only on the cash portion of the bankers bonus”.

The reply, apparently from Lord Mandelson, reads: “Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case.”

The emails suggest the peer, then business secretary, was prepared to lobby the Government over the so-called “super tax” introduced in early December 2009, by then-chancellor Alistair Darling, to clamp down on bank profits being used to pay large bonuses for bankers in the wake of the financial crisis.

Meanwhile, bank statements appear to show the peer received some 75,000 US dollars from Epstein over a period between 2003 and 2004, when he was a Labour MP.

Lord Mandelson said he did not recall ever receiving the payments, and questioned their authenticity.

After Lord Mandelson’s resignation from the party, a Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously and they are investigated in line with our rules and procedures.”

The Conservatives called for a “full and thorough independent investigation” into Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, after his resignation from the Labour Party.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Lord Mandelson is completely disgraced. Yet Keir Starmer lacked the backbone to take action, allowing Mandelson to resign from the Labour Party instead of kicking him out.

“Keir Starmer and his chief of staff appointed Mandelson ambassador despite his relationship with Epstein, and then refused to act even as the mountain of evidence against him grew.

“Given the Prime Minister’s appalling lack of judgment and the participation of his Downing Street operation, there must now be a full and thorough independent investigation.”