Kemi Badenoch Accuses Prime Minister of Lying Over Lord Mandelson's Involvement with Jeffrey Epstein

Strategic Insights -

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader, has accused the Prime Minister of lying over the circumstances surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson's removal as the UK's ambassador to the US. The controversy erupted after it was revealed that Downing Street had knowledge of emails sent by Mandelson to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein for 48 hours before his sacking. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has been accused of lying to the country by backing Mandelson's appointment, despite being aware of the emails.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Prime Minister's office knew about the emails sent by Lord Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein for 48 hours before his sacking, implying that Sir Keir Starmer lied to the country by backing Mandelson's appointment.
  • Sir Keir Starmer made the decision to withdraw Mandelson after emails were published showing the Labour grandee sent supportive messages to Epstein even as he faced jail for sex offences.
  • The Foreign Office received a media inquiry outlining details of the messages on Tuesday, which was passed to No 10, with a government source stating that Sir Oliver Robbins, the permanent under-secretary, asked Mandelson about the emails but did not hear back until Wednesday afternoon.
  • The Prime Minister was not aware of the contents of the emails until Wednesday evening, after he told the Commons he had "confidence" in Lord Mandelson.
  • The decision to sack Mandelson with immediate effect was taken on Thursday morning and announced shortly afterwards.
  • The Government said at the time that the published emails brought to light "new information" about Mandelson's relationship with Epstein.
  • Dame Emily Thornberry, chairwoman of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, has demanded answers from the Foreign Secretary on the vetting process for Lord Mandelson.
  • His friendship with Epstein was known before his appointment, and reports in The Sun and Bloomberg showed their relationship continued after Epstein's crimes had emerged.

Statistics:

  • 48 hours: The amount of time the Prime Minister's office knew about the emails sent by Lord Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein before his sacking.
  • 2: The number of days it took for No 10 to act on the information received about Mandelson's emails.
  • 18 months: The prison sentence given to Jeffrey Epstein in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
  • June 2008: The month Epstein's crimes were committed.
  • 2008: The year Epstein's crimes came to light.
  • 1: The time it took for the Government to announce Mandelson's removal from the ambassador post after being informed about the emails.

Sources:

  • @KemiBadenoch, Twitter post, September 13, 2025.
  • The Times, "No 10 knew about Mandelson emails for 48 hours before sacking".
  • PA news agency, "Government source: Sir Oliver Robbins asked Lord Mandelson about emails".
  • BBC News, "Labour Party leader under pressure after second scandal-hit departure".
  • The Guardian, "Lucy Powell calls for 'change of culture' in Labour Party".
  • BBC Breakfast, "Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander".