Dismissed British Ambassador to the US Mandelson for links to Epstein

Lord Peter Mandelson, appointed UK ambassador to the US a few months ago, was dismissed from his post after the disclosure of new letters and emails revealing much closer ties than previously thought with Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of child sex crimes.

Recently made public documents show that, as early as June 2008, Mandelson sent messages of support to Epstein as he faced accusations of exploiting a minor. One of these writings reads: 'I think the world of you... your friends stay with you and love you'. In the past, the former Labour minister had also appeared in a book of wishes for Epstein's 50th birthday, in which he called him 'my best friend' and referred to his 'interesting acquaintances'.

According to the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, these new revelations are 'materially different' from what was known at the time of the appointment. In particular, it emerged that Mandelson suggested that Epstein's first conviction was unjust and should be challenged. For his part, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for Mandelson's immediate removal from office precisely because of the impact such links would have on the UK's institutional and diplomatic credibility.

The affair opens up a number of questions. First and foremost, it calls into question the political judgement of the PM, who had assured that Mandelson's appointment had been made after careful vetting. At the same time, it brings to light the weaknesses of the diplomatic appointment control system, which is incapable of intercepting such relevant elements of the candidate's personal past and public relations. Moreover, the sudden removal from the embassy in Washington, a strategic role par excellence, risks weakening the British negotiating position at a time of great international tension and on the eve of sensitive institutional visits.

The Mandelson-Epstein case thus becomes a test case for the credibility of British institutions and for the entire apparatus of public office selection. In the UK, as elsewhere, the line between personal past, influential friendships and institutional responsibility has become increasingly thin.