The UK government is preparing to release the first batch of internal documents tied to the appointment ofPeter Mandelsonas Britain's ambassador to Washington.
According to reports, these records are expected to revisit the long-scrutinised relationship between Mandelson and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The so-called 'Mandelson files,' set to be presented in Parliament after Prime Minister's Questions, include Cabinet Office vetting reports that reportedly warned of 'serious reputational risk' tied to Mandelson's past friendship with Epstein.
The disclosures come months after Mandelson's dismissal from the diplomatic post and weeks after his arrest in a separate police investigation.
The documents being released were ordered by Members of Parliament earlier this year following pressure on the government to explain how Mandelson's appointment was approved in 2024 despite public knowledge of his past connection to Epstein.
According to parliamentary sources, the first tranche will include:
Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, is expected to outline the release during a statement in the House of Commons. Officials say only material cleared by police investigators will be published initially, with tens of thousands more pages potentially released later to avoid interfering with an ongoing criminal probe.
The files could shed light on what the government knew and when, about Mandelson's links to Epstein before he was chosen to represent the United Kingdom in Washington.
Mandelson's association with Epsteindates back to the early 2000s, while he served as a senior Labour figure under Tony Blair.
During that period, Mandelson reportedly encouraged Blair to meet Epstein and later visited Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little Saint James. Epstein also paid for several of Mandelson's flights.
Source: International Business Times UK
