Mandelson-Epstein Emails Reveal Plot to Oust Brown During Final Months
Freshly disclosed correspondence indicates that Peter Mandelson, the Labour grandee, appears to have conspired with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to destabilise Gordon Brown's premiership during its tumultuous final phase. The emails, released by the US Department of Justice, suggest a covert campaign of political manoeuvring and insider information sharing that has now triggered a Metropolitan Police investigation into the peer for alleged misconduct in public office.
Scheming from the Heart of Downing Street
As a senior Cabinet minister serving as Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson seemingly provided Epstein with confidential, market-sensitive government intelligence directly from Downing Street. This breach of trust occurred while Epstein, a financier later convicted for child sex offences, was actively encouraging Mandelson to challenge Brown's leadership, despite the peer's constitutional inability to become Prime Minister due to his Lordship status.
In one particularly bizarre exchange, Epstein jokingly proposed that Mandelson marry Princess Anne and then divorce her, suggesting this would "effectively dissolve his Lordship status" and clear a path to the top job. Another message saw Epstein float the idea of a "Milibrandelson" joint leadership ticket with David Miliband, a leading Blairite figure, describing it as "the equivalent of a Putin Medvedev deal."
A Pattern of Political Meddling
The correspondence reveals Epstein's persistent meddling in UK politics, beginning in October 2008 when Mandelson returned to government. Epstein congratulated him on "one of the greatest political revival opportunities of all time," while criticising Brown's leadership style, stating: "Laws need to be changed. It will take time, Gordon thinks like an old man. Old solutions will not work."
After serving his jail sentence in Florida, Epstein resumed contact in October 2009, repeatedly urging Mandelson to position himself for greater power. He advised distancing from Brown as the government unravelled, warning: "Supporting GB will be seen as bad form commercially... Uncertainty is not in your favor." Epstein even cited concerns from JP Morgan about the pound potentially faltering.
Resistance and Mockery
Mandelson's responses indicate he floated leadership ideas to Brown but met resistance. "The PM totally against. I have to accept, I think," he wrote in November 2009. Yet the exchanges grew increasingly mocking as Brown's departure loomed. In April 2010, Epstein messaged "Bye, bye smelly?" to which Mandelson replied: "Think has to be bye GB. He has now gone to church!" The following month, Mandelson informed Epstein: "Finally got him to go today…" with Brown resigning the next day.
Legal Repercussions and Denials
Fifteen years later, these emails have returned to haunt Lord Mandelson, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The Metropolitan Police investigation centres on whether his dealings with Epstein violated laws governing misconduct in public office. The peer, who was removed from his role as Labour's US ambassador by Sir Keir Starmer last year following Epstein-related revelations, now faces the prospect of being formally interviewed by officers.
The released files also include photographs showing Mandelson with Epstein on a yacht and in settings matching Epstein's Paris flat, known as the "House of Sin." These visual records, combined with the detailed email correspondence, paint a troubling picture of a relationship that blurred personal friendship with political manipulation during a critical period in British governance.
