No 10 would have ignored warnings on Mandelson’s links with Epstein

Downing Street ignored the warnings of Peter Mandelson’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed him ambassador to Washington, he appeared last night. The higher Labor Pair Maurice Glasman warned the chief of staff of Keir Starmer Morgan McSweeney against the appointment in January, describing Lord Mandelson as “the bad man at the wrong time in the wrong place”.

Last night, a source from Whitehall said that the higher personalities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also “advised the appointment” of a politician who was twice forced to resign from the cabinet during the previous scandals. Sir Keir was left to wiggle yesterday while he was trying to defend his decision to appoint the man who described Epstein as “my best friend” to the superior diplomatic role. Labor deputies last night joined the conservative calls for Lord Mandelson to be dismissed before the state visit to President Trump next week.

Sir Keir insisted yesterday that the “regular procedure” had been followed by the prospect of the appointment of Lord Mandelson in Washington in February. Downing Street said the former Minister of the Cabinet had been subject to in -depth verification and history checks to ensure that he was not a security risk.

But last night, it appeared that no 10 ignored a last warning from Lord Glasman, who was the only work figure invited to the inauguration of President Trump on January 20. Mr. McSweeney is a devotee from the Blue Labor Movement founded by Lord Glasman and asked him to write a report on his reflections on relations with the United States and his new president.

In a note written in the evening of the inauguration, Lord Glasman warned that the appointment of Lord Mandelson was likely to “provoke” high republicans who already had serious reserves on the Labor government.

He said that several Republicans had shown him a now notorious photograph of Lord Mandelson with Epstein while he was blowing the candles on a birthday cake. In the memo, of which a copy was seen by the mail, he said to Mr. McSweeney: “The brutal truth is that the vast majority of the people I met … Consider that our Labor Government is an organization before for [expletive] and Pakistanis [expletive] gangs. “They consider our position on the Chagos Islands an example of progressive idiocy and our appointment of Peter Mandelson an unnecessary provocation. They think that our army went to hell and that our country is overwhelmed by legal and illegal migrants. He added: “Remove Peter Mandelson. He is the bad man at the wrong time in the wrong place. Lord Mandelson was appointed less than three weeks later.

The labor deputies sat in silence yesterday while Kemi Badenoch saved Sir Keir’s decision during the weekly session of the Prime Minister’s questions in the municipalities. Sir Keir said that the victims of Epstein were at the forefront of our minds, but added: “The ambassador has repeatedly expressed his deep regret for his association with Epstein. I have confidence in him and he plays an important role in the British-American relationship.

■ A secret note in which Lord Mandelson urged the primary minister at the time, Sir Tony Blair, to meet Jeffrey Epstein was held under the Wraps, it was said. The note, supposed to have been written in May 2002, allegedly informed Sir Tony that a meeting would be “safe” and useful given the network of commercial contacts in Epstein. Aids transmitted it to the Prime Minister. It is not known if a meeting took place.

The document and a summary of the public service were to be published this year by the national archives. However, the Times reported that an exemption has been applied on the grounds that disclosure could affect international relations in the United Kingdom, in particular with the United States.