{"id":2563776,"date":"2026-02-03T13:39:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T18:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mandelson-bows-out-of-house-of-lords-as-starmer-tries-to-wane-epstein-scandal\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T13:42:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T18:42:29","slug":"mandelson-bows-out-of-house-of-lords-as-starmer-tries-to-wane-epstein-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mandelson-bows-out-of-house-of-lords-as-starmer-tries-to-wane-epstein-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"Mandelson bows out of House of Lords as Starmer tries to wane Epstein scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmandelson-bows-out-of-house-of-lords-as-starmer-tries-to-wane-epstein-scandal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2563776&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article reports that Lord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the House of Lords amid fresh disclosures about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/defying-dem-allegations-trump-admin-pushes-multiple-judges-to-release-court-docs-on-epstein-maxwell\/\" title=\"Defying Dem Allegations, Trump Admin Pushes Multiple Judges to Release Court Docs on ..., Maxwell\">ongoing political pressure<\/a> on Labor leader Keir Starmer. the timing follows revelations that forced Mandelson to step back from the Labour Party.<\/p>\n<p>Key points:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; U.S. Department of Justice Epstein files show Mandelson directly informed Epstein of confidential government tax plans while his partner received wired payments, prompting Mandelson\u2019s withdrawal from the Lords.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Starmer was said to have pressured Mandelson to resign and to consider stripping his peerage through parliamentary action, a process not used since 1917.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The disclosures also detail payments to Mandelson\u2019s partner,Reinaldo Avila da Silva,and describe Epstein\u2019s broader influence over Labour tax plans and other government matters.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The piece notes Conservative criticisms of Starmer and Mandelson, with calls to remove the peerage and questions about vetting and appointments.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article also references renewed scrutiny of Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) over Epstein ties, including calls for him to testify before U.S. Congress if necessary; Andrew maintains innocence but apologizes for imprudent conduct.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Starmer and government aides emphasize separating Labour from the Epstein scandal, and Starmer suggests anyone with pertinent facts shoudl cooperate with investigations.<\/p>\n<p>the piece portrays a political crisis surrounding Epstein-era connections, Mandelson\u2019s role in government contact with Epstein, and the broader scrutiny of figures tied to the scandal.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Mandelson resigns from House of Lords as Keir Starmer hopes to stop Epstein scandal from engulfing him<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2492308\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Lord Peter Mandelson, days after revelations about his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jeffrey-epstein\/\">ties to Jeffrey Epstein<\/a> forced him to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4442688\/uk-labour-member-peter-mandelson-resigns-over-epstein-ties\/\">step back from the Labour Party<\/a>, has withdrawn from the House of Lords.<\/p>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4441860\/latest-epstein-trove-features-musk-lutnick-steve-tisch-correspondence\/\">latest tranche of Epstein files<\/a> released by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Mandelson &mdash; the former British ambassador to the U.S. who was cut loose in September over his ties to the deceased sex trafficker &mdash; directly informed Epstein of confidential government tax plans while his <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >partner separately received wired payments<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4443066\/norwegian-royal-family-implode-epstein-emails-son-arrest-rape\/\">Norwegian royals implode with Epstein emails, son re-arrested ahead of his rape trial<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4443763\/ukraine-fifa-infantino-moral-degenerate-russia-ban\/\">Ukraine rips FIFA president as &#8216;moral degenerate&#8217; after floating end to Russia ban<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4443480\/european-army-dangerous-eu-nato\/\">European army would be &#8216;extremely dangerous,&#8217; EU official warns amid NATO rift<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;My lords, given the public interest, and for the convenience of the house, I have decided to inform the house that the clerk of the parliaments has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/uk-pm-johnson-and-finance-minister-fined-for-breaking-covid-lockdown-rules\/\" title=\"UK PM Johnson and Finance Minister Fined for Breaking COVID Lockdown Rules\">today received notification<\/a> from Lord Mandelson of his intention to retire from the house effective from 4 February,&rdquo; Lord Speaker Michael Forsyth announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Mandelson was pressured to step down by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/keir-starmer\">Prime Minister Keir Starmer<\/a>, who said Tuesday morning that the longtime Labour ally had &ldquo;let his country down.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Britain&rsquo;s Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, speaks during a welcome reception for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at the ambassador&rsquo;s residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Carl Court\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Emails released over the weekend indicate that Mandelson received $75,000 from Epstein and offered the convicted sex trafficker insights on affairs while serving in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown&rsquo;s Cabinet. <\/p>\n<p>Sensitive information shared with Epstein includes forewarning of a multibillion-dollar bailout for the European Union, over $27 billion in asset sales, Labour tax plans, and even Brown&rsquo;s resignation.<\/p>\n<p>Reinaldo Avila da Silva &mdash; Mandelson&rsquo;s partner, whom he married in 2023 after a decadeslong relationship &mdash; was wired tens of thousands of dollars by Epstein. The first of these payments was made to fund da Silva&rsquo;s alternative medicine endeavors, with recurring payments of multiple thousands of dollars afterward.<\/p>\n<p>Voices on the British Right have used <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4443258\/doj-removes-thousands-epstein-files-victim-id-concerns\/\">the scandal<\/a> as a cudgel against Labour and Starmer in particular.<\/p>\n<p>Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch questioned how Mandelson &mdash; who has been nicknamed the &ldquo;Prince of Darkness&rdquo; for his lack of scruples in politics &mdash; &ldquo;came to be appointed in the first place&rdquo; when &ldquo;there are vetting procedures which would have stopped him from ever being appointed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Labour have been covering this up,&rdquo; she <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/news\/politics\/2165338\/politics-live-keir-starmer-returns\">alleged on Monday<\/a>. &ldquo;It is now time for us to look into that, and we will explore every possible avenue to make sure we understand how it was that the Prime Minister allowed himself and the Government to be embroiled in this scandal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mandelson was hand-selected by Starmer and his chief of staff, Labour strategist Morgan McSweeney, reportedly pushed hard for him to represent the United Kingdom to the United States, urging Starmer not to fire him.<\/p>\n<p>Zia Yusuf, the head of policy for Reform UK, called for Starmer to step down over the scandal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s not forget Keir Starmer himself appointed Peter Mandelson not that long ago to be Britain&rsquo;s ambassador to the United States of America,&rdquo; Yusef <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gbnews.com\/politics\/peter-mandelson-zia-yusuf-keir-starmer-resignation-jeffrey-epstein-payments\">told GB News <\/a>in an interview. &ldquo;He did so in defiance of advice from the United Kingdom&rsquo;s intelligence agencies. I think Keir Starmer has a serious question to answer, and personally, I think Keir Starmer needs to resign.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain&rsquo;s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador&rsquo;s residence on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington. (Carl Court\/Pool Photo via AP, file)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Downing Street is going scorched earth on the situation in a bid to clearly separate themselves and the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/labour-party\/\">Labour Party<\/a> from the disgraced former ambassador.<\/p>\n<p>The situation was apparently top-of-mind at the British Cabinet&rsquo;s meeting the same day, where Starmer  reportedly told his ministers that he was &ldquo;appalled at the information that had emerged over the weekend&rdquo; regarding &ldquo;the alleged passing on the emails of highly sensitive government business.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>He also voiced a lack of confidence that &ldquo;the totality of the information had yet emerged.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to seeking Mandelson&rsquo;s withdrawal from the House of Lords, Starmer has sought to strip him of his peerage &mdash; a somewhat Herculean task that can only be done through an act of parliament.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The prime minister has asked officials to draft legislation which allows Peter Mandelson&rsquo;s peerage to be removed as quickly as possible,&rdquo; a spokesperson told the press, communicating the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-to-host-netanyahu-at-mar-a-lago-when-israeli-leader-comes-to-us-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Trump to host Netanyahu at Mar...a...Lago when Israeli leader comes to US ... Washington Examiner\">prime minister&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s deep frustration with the logistics of taking away Mandelson&rsquo;s barony.  <\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4438744\/nigel-farage-in-charge-tory-defections-reform-mount\/\">NIGEL FARAGE SAYS &lsquo;IT&rsquo;S TIME I WAS IN CHARGE&rsquo; AS TORY DEFECTIONS TO REFORM MOUNT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The prime minister believes there is a broader need for the House of Lords to be able to remove transgressors more quickly,&rdquo; the spokesperson said. &ldquo;The prime minister regards it as ridiculous that a peerage cannot be removed except with primary legislation, something that has not happened since 1917.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3869911\/prince-andrew-royal-lodge-titles-epstein\/\">Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor<\/a>, the brother of King Charles III, who was stripped of his princely and ducal status by the monarch last year over his Epstein ties, is also facing renewed calls for punishment with the latest file dump.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT &ndash; Images from an undated and redacted document released by the U.S. Department of Justice, photographed Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaning over an unidentified person. (AP Photo\/Jon Elswick)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Photos of Andrew posed over a young woman lying on the floor of a home were included in the new cache from the Justice Department, fanning the flames of critics demanding Mountbatten-Windsor be interrogated.<\/p>\n<p>Starmer said earlier this week that Andrew should <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3871620\/democrats-want-andrew-testify-epstein-catch-up-after-prison-release\/\">testify before the U.S. Congress<\/a> on the Epstein investigation if called to do so.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t be victim-centered if you&rsquo;re not prepared to do that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Andrew maintains his innocence on all counts, though he has apologized for showing a lack of prudence in continuing his relationship with Epstein following the latter&rsquo;s conviction on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sex-offender-fugitive-gang-member-arrests-continue-along-u-s-southwest-border\/\" title=\"Sex Offender, Fugitive, Gang Member Arrests Continue Along U.S. Southwest Border\">sex crime charges<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase:<br \/>\nLord Peter Mandelson has resigned from the House of Lords amid continuing controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released U.S. DoJ files allege Mandelson told Epstein about confidential government tax plans and that his partner received wired payments. Prime Minister Keir Starmer pressed him to quit, saying Mandelson had let the country down. Officials are considering removing his peerage to speed up accountability in the Lords. The affair has drawn right\u2011wing attacks on Labour and Starmer, including questions about Mandelson\u2019s appointment as Britain\u2019s ambassador to the U.S. The Epstein fallout also renews scrutiny of other figures connected to Epstein, including Prince Andrew, with calls for him to testify before Congress if asked. Mandelson\u2019s partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, reportedly received significant payments from Epstein. The government wants to sever ties with Mandelson quickly as part of distancing the Labour Party from the scandal.<\/p>\n<p>55-character version:<br \/>\nMandelson quits Lords as Epstein row haunts Starmer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2563777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26033469931142.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[35335,59959,72777,33714,72776],"class_list":["post-2563776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-british-politics","tag-epstein-scandal","tag-house-of-lords","tag-keir-starmer","tag-mandelson"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26033469931142.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2563776"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2563784,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563776\/revisions\/2563784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2563777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2563776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2563776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2563776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}