Peter Mandelson resigns from U.K. Labour Party over Epstein ties

The latest mention of Mandelson follows last year's disclosure of correspondence between him and Epstein, including a note calling the convicted sex offender his 'best pal.'

U.K. Labour peer Peter Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated that he may be stripped of his “lord” title.

Mandelson appeared in the latest release of the Epstein files, prompting an investigation into his conduct while serving under former U.K. prime minister Gordon Brown in 2009.

The U.K.’s cabinet secretary will investigate Mandelson’s actions when Labour was last in power, Downing Street announced Monday.

Newly released documents indicate that Epstein made three separate payments of US$25,000 to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004, according to the BBC.

Emails in the Epstein files also suggest that, while serving as business secretary under Brown in 2009, Mandelson forwarded internal government emails from Brown’s policy adviser, Nick Butler, regarding the U.K.’s ailing economy to Epstein.

In a letter to Labour’s general secretary on Sunday, Mandelson resigned, writing, “I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this.”

“Allegations 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.

“I want to take this opportunity to repeat my apology to the women and girls whose voices should have been heard long before now.