Lord Peter Mandelson has publicly refused to issue a personal apology to the victims of the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, despite acknowledging the 'calamitous' personal cost of their association.
A 'Calamitous' Price Paid
The former UK ambassador to the United States was sacked from his post in September 2025 after emails revealed the depth of his support for Epstein following the financier's initial conviction. Speaking to Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One's Sunday programme, Mandelson stated he had never witnessed any suspicious behaviour during his time with Epstein.
'I never saw anything in his life when I was with him, when I was in his homes, that would give me any reason to suspect what this evil monster was doing in preying on these young women,' he said. He suggested that being a gay man in Epstein's circle kept him separate from the sexual aspects of his life.
Apology for the System, Not Personal Actions
When pressed on whether he would apologise directly to Epstein's victims, Lord Mandelson offered an apology for a 'system that refused to hear their voices'. However, he stopped short of accepting personal culpability.
'If I had known, if I was in any way complicit or culpable, of course I would apologise… but I was not culpable, I was not knowledgeable for what he was doing,' he told the programme. He expressed lasting regret that 'powerless women were not given the protection they were entitled to expect'.
This stance comes despite evidence showing Mandelson continued to back Epstein after his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution and a minor. Emails revealed he encouraged Epstein to 'fight for early release' and told him 'I think the world of you' just before his jail sentence began.
Moving On from a 'Terrible Mistake'
Lord Mandelson described his continued loyalty as a 'most terrible mistake' and an act of 'misplaced loyalty'. He admitted he believed Epstein's excuses at the time. Asked if he deserved to be sacked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, he replied, 'I understand why I was sacked', adding he did not wish to relitigate the issue and was 'moving on'.
He also sought to downplay the closeness of their friendship, claiming he was 'at the edge of this man's life', despite a handwritten note from Epstein's 2003 birthday book describing Mandelson as his 'best pal'.
Reacting to the interview, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander criticised Mandelson's 'deep naivety' and said a direct apology would have gone a long way for the victims. Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges; his death was ruled a suicide.
