{"id":24073,"date":"2026-02-02T18:45:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/?p=24073"},"modified":"2026-02-02T18:50:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:50:22","slug":"files-numbes-does-a-great-works-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/files-numbes-does-a-great-works-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Files numbers does a great works in the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

How the depth of Peter Mandelson\u2019s links to Jeffrey Epstein came to light? <\/em>Here are details that have emerged about the ex-minister\u2019s relationship with the convicted child sex offender. <\/em><\/span>Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour party over his links to the convicted child sex offender<\/span>\u00a0Jeffrey Epstein<\/a>. Here\u2019s how the depth of their relationship \u2013 both before and after Epstein\u2019s conviction for sexual crimes \u2013 has come to light<\/span>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The money<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are at least two occasions on which it is alleged Epstein handed large sums of money to Lord Mandelson or his husband.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mandelson directly referenced one of the claims when announcing his resignation from the\u00a0Labour<\/a>\u00a0party. Bank statements held among the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice appear to show that in 2003 to 2004 the disgraced financier paid a total of $75,000 (\u00a354,750) into bank accounts of which Mandelson \u2013 then a Labour MP \u2013 was believed to be a beneficiary.<\/em><\/p>\n

The former cabinet minister had already come under pressure over the second allegation that his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, had received \u00a310,000 from Epstein about two months after the registered sex offender was released from prison in 2009. Epstein had served 13 months of an 18-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor. The files suggest the money was to fund an osteopathy course and other expenses.<\/em><\/p>\n

Writing to Hollie Ridley, the general secretary of the Labour party, Mandelson said: \u201cAllegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me. While doing this, I do not wish to cause further embarrassment to the Labour party and I am therefore stepping down from membership of the party.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The influence<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The files also show evidence Mandelson advised Epstein on how the investment bank JP Morgan might lobby the government \u2013 of which he was a part \u2013 on plans for a tax on bankers\u2019 bonuses.<\/em><\/p>\n

Among the documents is a chain of emails between Epstein and Mandelson, in which the former asks if the new tax might only apply to the cash portion of bonuses. \u201cTrying hard to amend,\u201d Mandelson wrote back on 15 December 2009. \u201cTreasury digging in but I am on case.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Mandelson, who was then business secretary in Gordon Brown\u2019s government, suggested two days later that the head of the investment bank call the then chancellor, Alistair Darling, and \u201cmildly threaten\u201d him. He has since told the\u00a0Financial Times<\/a>: \u201cEvery UK and international bank was making the same argument about the impact on UK financial services. My conversations in government at the time reflected the views of the sector as a whole, not a single individual.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The ongoing friendship<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

It had been known for years that Mandelson was linked to Epstein. It has long been a matter of public record Mandelson stayed in the disgraced financier\u2019s flat in New York while the latter was serving his prison term. And a briefing delivered to the prime minister, Keir Starmer, on the reputational risk in appointing Mandelson as ambassador to the US mentioned official records showing he had\u00a0facilitated a meeting<\/a>\u00a0between Epstein and Tony Blair in 2002.<\/em><\/p>\n

But a glimpse of the extent of the relationship between the former minister and Epstein would lead to Mandelson\u2019s withdrawal from Washington in September 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n

Documents released then showed Mandelson had referred to Epstein as his \u201cbest pal\u201d in a letter included within an alleged birthday book that was released by US lawmakers.<\/em><\/p>\n

The bundle was collated by Ghislaine Maxwell \u2013 Epstein\u2019s accomplice and fellow convicted sex offender \u2013 for his 50th birthday in 2003. It also included contributions thought to be from the US president, Donald Trump, and former president Bill Clinton.<\/em><\/p>\n

At the time, Mandelson\u2019s spokesperson told the BBC he had \u201clong been clear that he very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein\u201d. He survived that revelation. But more was to come within days.<\/em><\/p>\n

The prime minister, who had been facing questions about his judgment after standing by Mandelson, removed him from his post when it emerged he had emailed Epstein suggesting his 2008 conviction for soliciting a child for prostitution was wrongful and should be challenged.<\/em><\/p>\n

No 10 said it had not known about emails, in which Mandelson wrote: \u201cI can still barely understand it. It just could not happen in Britain. You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release and be philosophical about it as much as you can.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

And, in November last year, documents showed Mandelson had remained in contact with Epstein until at least 2016. Emails released by\u00a0the House oversight committee<\/a>, which is conducting an inquiry into the US government\u2019s handling of the Epstein case, included one from Epstein to Mandelson on 6 November 2016 that said: \u201c63 years old. You made it.\u201d The former ambassador replied: \u201cJust. I have decided to extend my life by spending more of it in the US.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Last month, Mandelson apologised for his association with Epstein \u2013 having initially refused to do so in a BBC interview. He said he had not wanted to be \u201cheld responsible for his crimes of which I was ignorant, not indifferent\u201d. But had decided to \u201capologies unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered\u201d, adding: \u201cI want to say loudly and clearly that I was wrong to believe him following his conviction and to continue my association with him afterwards.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0egretnewseditor@gmail.com<\/span>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How the depth of Peter Mandelson\u2019s links to Jeffrey Epstein came to light? Here are details that have emerged about the ex-minister\u2019s relationship with the convicted child sex offender. Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour party over his links to the convicted child sex offender\u00a0Jeffrey Epstein. Here\u2019s how the depth of their relationship \u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47471,"featured_media":24074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[198,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-slider","category-top-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47471"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24073"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24077,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24073\/revisions\/24077"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egretnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}