Mandelson's Epstein Ties Cost Taxpayers £75k

0:00On March 12, Downey Street approved a special severance package worth 75,000 pounds for Peter Mandelson after sacking him as the nominee for UK Ambassador to the United States. This came amid revelations of his close friendship with a convicted pay-to-file Jeffrey Epstein. The pay-out was nearly double his contractual entitlement of about 40,000 pounds, but much less than the over 500,000 pounds his. Officials initially demanded officials had warned Prime Minister Kier Starmer in writing about the reputational risks of the appointment, noting Mandelson's ties to Epstein continued even after the financier's 2008 conviction for child sex offenses. Despite this, Starmer pushed ahead, even briefing Mandelson on secret documents before full security vetting. Tory leader Kimmy Botanock has slammed the decision as another blow to Starmer's judgment, urging Labour MPs to question his fitness to lead, and consider removing him. She pointed out conservatives lacked the numbers, so it's up to Labour back ventures to act.

1:04MPs from both sides expressed outrage that taxpayers funded the exit package at all. Newly released documents to Parliament confirmed the depth of Mandelson's post-conviction context with Epstein, including reports of staying at his new, York Home. The pay-off was signed off by top officials including the foreign office permanent secretary, Treasury approval, and described as good value to. Avoid a messy legal fight. More files from Mandelson's seven-month tenure are expected, as police review some with held documents related to misconduct claims. Starmer has admitted the mistake, apologized, and his team now says due diligence fell short.