Peter Mandelson has been withdrawn as ambassador to the US after emails revealed the depth of his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In response to an urgent question, UK foreign office minister Stephen Doughty told MPs in the House of Commons that the long-time Labour politician had been sacked.
A foreign office statement said: “In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as ambassador.
“The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.
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“In particular Peter Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information.
“In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes he has been withdrawn as ambassador with immediate effect.”
The US ambassador and architect of New Labour was under pressure after the publication of his correspondence to Epstein after Epstein’s arrest for procuring a child for prostitution.
The Conservatives and Scottish National Party called for Mr Mandelson’s resignation, while the Liberal Democrats demanded an investigation into whether he broke the diplomatic code.
Downing Street insisted that “due process” was followed before his appointment as US ambassador.
In his emails Mr Mandelson, who once described Epstein as his “best pal”, urged the disgraced financier to “fight for early release” and assured him that “your friends stay with you and love you”.
“I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened,” he wrote. “I can still barely understand it. It just could not happen in Britain.”
In a statement to the BBC after his emails to Epstein were published by Bloomberg and the Sun, Mr Mandelson said he “relied on assurances of his innocence that turned out later to be horrendously false. His lawyers claimed that it was a shakedown of him, a criminal conspiracy. I foolishly relied on their word, which I regret to this day”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Mandelson gave an interview to the Sun where he admitted that more “very embarrassing” details of his friendship with Epstein would emerge.
He said the paedophile financier was a “charismatic criminal liar” and that he deeply regretted continuing their association “far longer than I should have”.
“I feel a tremendous sense of sympathy for those people, those women, who suffered as a result of his behaviour and his illegal criminal activities,” he said.
Mr Mandelson stressed that he never witnessed any wrongdoing and that he “never sought, nor did [Epstein] offer” any introductions to women in the same way he had done for others, “perhaps it’s because I’m a gay man”.
Earlier this week it emerged that Mr Mandelson had described Epstein as his “best pal” in a series of messages included in a 50th “birthday book” released by US lawmakers.
When he faced questions in February about his association with Epstein from the Financial Times, Mr Mandelson expressed regret but added: “I’m not going to go into this. It’s an FT obsession and frankly you can all f**k off. OK?”
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, said prime minister Keir Starmer had failed a test of leadership after he sacked Mr Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
Ms Badenoch said in a statement: “Peter Mandelson is now gone, but Keir Starmer failed yet another key test of leadership.
“I asked him about Peter Mandelson’s links to the notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein six times at Prime Minister’s Questions. And six times he could not provide any answers.
“He gave his full backing to a man unfit for office. This matters for you. Because the Prime Minister has been distracted from the serious national security and economic challenges our country is facing.
“He is a weak Prime Minister, who doesn’t have the courage to do the right thing at the right time.”
Conservative former minister David Davis said Mr Mandelson’s appointment shows the “sheer size of the failure of the vetting process”, highlighting two previous resignations over an interest-free loan and a passport for a business friend.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the prime minister should come before Parliament to explain why Mr Mandelson was appointed US ambassador in the first place.
Mr Davey said in a statement: “The Prime Minister now needs to appoint an ambassador who will stand up to Trump, not cosy up to him and his cronies.
“He also needs to come before Parliament and explain why Lord Mandelson was appointed in the first place, given everything the government knew then.
“This government seems to be lurching from one crisis to another. It desperately needs to get a grip on fixing the economy and public services so badly damaged by the Conservatives.”
– Guardian/agencies
