The release of the “Mandelson files” comes at a difficult moment in relations between the US and UK. It is unlikely to ease tensions.
The UK government has submitted to pressure from MPs to disclose files relating to the hiring and vetting of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US. Questions have been raised about how much officials, including the prime minister, Keir Starmer, knew about Mandelson’s friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction for sex offences in 2008.
The key takeaway from the release doesn’t relate to the US president, Donald Trump. This is that Mandelson tried to negotiate a severance package worth £547,201 after being asked to leave his post in Washington. He ended up getting £75,000. But there are details in the documents that will not be welcomed by the US, and the nature of the release will be of concern to a White House already under pressure for its own approach to Epstein.
