The UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, called the deceased billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein “my best pal” in a letter included within an alleged birthday book released by US lawmakers.
The handwritten note, which is interspersed with photographs of Lord Mandelson, Epstein and some of his properties, was provided to the House committee on oversight and reform, the main investigating committee in the US House of Representatives.
The bundle of correspondence was collated by Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender, for Epstein’s 50th birthday and includes a sexually suggestive letter and drawing that appears to bear the signature of Donald Trump. The White House denied the letter was authentic.
The UK embassy in Washington was approached for comment but Mandelson, one of the architects of the New Labour project in the UK, has previously said he regrets “ever meeting” Epstein or “being introduced to him” by Maxwell.
A spokesperson for Mandelson also told the BBC: “Lord Mandelson has long been clear that he very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein.”
Asked about the disclosure, the prime minister’s spokesperson said Mandelson had responded to questions about his relationship with Epstein before, and that Keir Starmer continued to have full confidence in him.
“We’re focused obviously on our relationship with the US, with President Trump coming for an unprecedented second state visit next week to build on the progress we’ve already made,” the spokesperson said.
Mandelson’s 2003 missive refers to Epstein as an “intelligent sharp-witted man”.
It reads: “Once upon a time, an intelligent, sharp-witted man they call ‘mysterious’ parachuted into my life … you would spend many hours just waiting for him to turn up … And often, no sooner were you used to having him around, you would suddenly be alone again … Leaving you with some ‘interesting’ friends to entertain instead … Or just some dogs to keep you company (he wasn’t always so keen on them) … But then he would parachute back in … Very occasionally, taking you by surprise in some far off places … Or in one of his glorious homes he likes to share with his friends (yum yum) … But wherever he is in the world, he remains my best pal!”
Photographs of a person parachuting, Mandelson in shorts gazing from a balcony, a person on a kayak on the ocean, Mandelson with two women standing over a large table, an Irish whiskey label, a tropical island resort and finally Mandelson in a white dressing gown laughing with Epstein are included.
Mandelson’s links with Epstein have raised questions since a 2019 internal report on Epstein by JP Morgan bank was filed to a New York court. It found Epstein appeared to “maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of British government”.
The disgraced financier Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in August 2019.
The birthday book was turned over to the House oversight committee in response to a subpoena issued by its Republican chair, James Comer, and a letter from the Democrats Sylvia Garcia and Ro Khanna urging Epstein’s estate to produce the materials.
The committee published the entire book on Monday. Other contributors included the former US president Bill Clinton.
