British PM Keir Starmer fires Peter Mandelson as US ambassador over Epstein ties

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sacked Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US after growing political pressure over his friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Mandelson, 71, had faced mounting scrutiny since Monday, when US politicians published a redacted copy of a "birthday book" given to the disgraced financier in 2003 for his 50th birthday.

Included in its pages was a handwritten note from the British diplomat which described Epstein as his "best pal."

Emails from Mandelson to Epstein were later published in the British media, showing that the Labour peer backed his friend even after the latter's arrest on child sex charges.

In an email sent in June 2008, Mandelson urged Epstein to "fight for early release."

"I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened," he wrote to Epstein.

The revelations prompted the opposition to call for Starmer to fire Mandelson, with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch describing the ambassador’s position as "untenable."

Initially, the British prime minister stood by the Labour veteran, saying in parliament on Wednesday afternoon that the 71-year-old had "repeatedly expressed his deep regret" over his close relationship with Epstein.

However, the British foreign ministry said on Thursday that Starmer had changed his position.

"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," it said.

"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," the ministry added.

The diplomat's sacking raises questions about Starmer's political judgement, as the former cabinet minister's ties to Epstein have long been known.

Mandelson has said that he remained friends with Epstein, who was found dead in his cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, "for far longer than I should have done."

His departure comes at a difficult time for the British prime minister, just days after his deputy Angela Rayner resigned over a tax scandal.