The latest tranche of the Jeffrey Epstein files have been in the public domain for less than two weeks, but already their contents have sent shock waves around the world.
Nowhere is this more true than in Britain, where the fallout has come to the door of Keir Starmer over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, amid questions about how much the prime minister knew of his former envoy’s links to Epstein.
Starmer looks to have weathered the immediate pressure to resign this week, despite having lost his influential chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, over the scandal. But the vultures are still circling and it seems a matter of when, rather than if, the prime minister will go. Kiran Stacey weighs up the possible challengers from within the Labour party, while Oliver Holmes and Chris Michael consider why the scandal hit home so hard in the UK.
The full story of the Epstein files – the latest release represents just over half of the 6m files held by the US justice department – may take years to unearth, if indeed it ever is. From the US to Europe, senior figures from politics, media, business and academia have been confronted with awkward questions over their contacts with the convicted sex offender, as Patrick Wintour reveals.
Perhaps the most vivid picture that emerges for now is the one outlined in Amelia Gentleman’s excoriating essay for our cover story this week, exposing the world of wealthy, powerful men who moved within Epstein’s circles – and the women who existed solely to serve them snacks, or provide them with sex.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | The last post for press freedom in the US?
Jeff Bezos’s axing of more than 300 jobs at the Washington Post has renewed fears about the resilience of America’s democracy to withstand Donald Trump’s attacks. Ed Pilkington and Jeremy Barr report
Technology | The continuing risks and rewards of AI
As policymakers and tech executives prepare for the next global AI summit in India, an annual safety report highlights the issues that will be at stake, writes Dan Milmo
Interview | Can Zack Polanski pull off a green revolution in the UK?
With polls and membership at an all-time high, the UK Green party is having a moment – and it’s largely down to the party’s charismatic (if slightly cheesy) new leader. Simon Hattenstone went on the road with him
Opinion | What links UK politics and Epstein? A thick seam of contempt
We’re often told the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, is a ‘decent’ man. But in appointing Peter Mandelson he chose political convenience over doing right, argues Nesrine Malik
Culture | The sign language of Margaret Calvert
Airports, road signs, typefaces … the design legend revolutionised how Britain looked and her brilliantly clear designs are still used today. Catherine Slessor met her
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What else we’ve been reading
• After reading Andy Bull’s deep dive into the lengths to which Olympic ski jumpers will go for glory, I now know more about the significance of a skier’s nether regions, and the groin area of their trousers, than I ever thought possible. Did it make me want to tune in? But of course. Graham Snowdon, editor
• I really enjoyed this interview with Simone Ledward Boseman. The way she talks about her late husband Chadwick Boseman’s life, work, and legacy, as well as her own journey with grief, is incredibly moving and inspiring. Jade Lovitt, business manager
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Audio | Walking into disaster: the narcotrafficking scandal that blew up the BVI
• Video | How the failures that caused Grenfell still exist today
• Gallery | In your face: Close-up Photographer of the Year Awards 2026
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