Britain has withdrawn Peter Mandelson as its ambassador in Washington after officials reviewed additional emails that changed the government’s understanding of his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

The decision was taken at the request of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and was actioned by the Foreign Secretary with immediate effect.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stated that the new correspondence showed “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment”. That reassessment went beyond reputational discomfort to the question of judgment, particularly once one email surfaced where Mandelson suggested Epstein’s first conviction was “wrongful and should be challenged”.