Jeremy Corbyn, founder of the Your Party, warned a crowd at SXSW today that the 'rich will eventually fall' ahead of the release of the Mandelson files. Speaking at the 'Exposing Power: The Epstein Files, Censorship and the Fight for the Truth' panel, Corbyn claimed that the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's influence on British politics was 'enormous'.
'Because of his endless connections, his influence is now being felt even today,' he said. 'The technology that was so loved by Epstein and his friends, and so used by them to make so much money for themselves and control so much, is actually also their downfall. The lesson is this: eventually, the rich, the famous, the oligarchs, and the entirely self-entitled do eventually fall.'
Corbyn urged attendees to 'look at what has happened' to figures like Prince Andrew, currently under investigation over allegations of misconduct in public office and sexual offences, and Peter Mandelson, the disgraced former US ambassador at the centre of a series of controversial files being released today. He called on the public to study the files carefully, not only for alleged crimes but also for links to financial institutions, mineral resources, wars, and more.
'This is a turning point of history, which a hundred years ago we'd never have known about,' Corbyn said. He also recalled a conversation with Tony Benn when Mandelson was first appointed as a senior officer of the Labour Party under Neil Kinnock. 'Tony Benn and I were discussing it, and Tony said, "I don't like that man, I don't trust that man. I will want him watched,"' Corbyn recounted.
The Islington MP stated that the current inquiry to release documents regarding Mandelson's relationship with Epstein was insufficient and called for a public inquiry. Murtaza Hussain, national security and foreign affairs reporter at Drop Site News, also spoke on the panel, claiming: 'The sex abuses are an extremely important part of the Epstein story, and you can't understand them without that. But it was really a story about oligarchy — oligarchy and intelligence networks and politics.'
The panel took place hours before the next wave of files relating to Peter Mandelson is set to be published. Private exchanges between top ministers and the sacked diplomat are expected to be part of the release, which could total more than 1,000 pages. MPs forced the government to publish all papers relating to Mandelson's appointment as US Ambassador in February, following revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The release has been labelled 'unprecedented' and could cast further scrutiny on how his return to office was handled.
