Lord Mandelson ‘was nonetheless in contact with Jeffrey Epstein in 2012’, emails present

Lord Mandelson remained in contact with Jeffrey Epstein until at least 2012, emails show.

The new British ambassador to Washington was notoriously pictured shopping with the paedophile financier in 2005 or 2006 in a picture supplied by one of Epstein’s ‘sex slaves’.

Now newly resurfaced emails suggest Lord Mandelson kept in contact with the disgraced financier for many years. One email revealed in the FCA tribunal case is dated in August 2012.

It is a note Mandelson had sent to banking boss Jes Staley, formerly group chief executive of Barclays, about the ‘future of the financial sector’, which he also forwarded to Epstein, writing: ‘Below is something I forwarded to your boy.’

Mandelson appears to have stayed with Epstein in New York in the same year. Epstein emailed Mr Staley in May 2012: ‘Peter Mandelson here at 5 – staying a couple of days.’

Lord Mandelson remained in contact with Jeffrey Epstein until at least 2012, emails have revealed

Newly resurfaced emails suggest Lord Mandelson kept in contact with the disgraced financier for many years

Peter Mandelson pictured shopping with Jeffrey Epstein on December 27, 2005, in St. Barts

Mr Staley replied: ‘If I get back in time, I will swing by.’

The photo, showing the Labour grandee sporting a £21,000 Patek Philippe watch and trying on a white leather belt in a fashion boutique, was taken in the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned a small private island.

There is no suggestion the peer knew anything of the accusations against his friend, and his spokesman has said: ‘Lord Mandelson very much regrets ever having been introduced to Epstein.

‘This connection has been a matter of public record for some time. He never had any kind of professional or business relationship with Epstein in any form.’