Peter Mandelson moaned to Epstein concerning the English being ‘boring’, ‘not so fairly’ and ‘both star struck or violently hostile’ as he mentioned shopping for residence in Rio de Janeiro, emails reveal
Peter Mandelson told Jeffrey Epstein that Britons were ‘boring’ and ‘not so pretty’ – while also labelling English people ‘either star-struck or violently hostile’, emails show.
The disgraced former Labour peer appeared to speak scornfully of the UK while pursuing the potential purchase of an apartment in Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro.
The correspondence was published as part of the latest tranche of more than 3 million Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice.
At the time of the Rio-related email exchange, Epstein was already a registered sex offender, having been released from a Florida prison in July 2009 after serving 13 months of an 18-month sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Mandelson was sacked as Britain’s ambassador to Washington in September last year, after Downing Street said new information about the depth of his relationship with Epstein had emerged.
Emails published by the DOJ at the time showed the former cabinet minister offering emotional support to the financier in 2008, shortly before he pleaded guilty to sex offence charges and served time in Palm Beach County Stockade jail.
He encouraged Epstein to ‘fight for early release’, and insisted: ‘Your friends stay with you and love you.’
The new files show Mandelson apparently passing market-sensitive UK government information to Epstein, while business secretary under then-PM Gordon Brown.
This was among the images of Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein released in the most recent tranche of documents from the US Department of Justice
Peter Mandelson (right) married Reinaldo Avila da Silva (left) in October 2023 at Marylebone Town Hall in central London – they are pictured here in July 2017
They indicate that in 2009, Mandelson sent the financier a government memo about possible UK asset sales and tax changes.
He is also suggested to have given Epstein advance notice in 2010 of a European Union €500billion bailout package during the bloc’s debt crisis.
The Metropolitan Police has opened an investigation and visits were made last Friday to his homes in Regent’s Park, north London, and in Wiltshire.
No charges have been brought and Mandelson denies any criminal offences.
He has resigned from the Labour Party and said he would no longer use his peerage title, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said Mandelson should be removed from the House of Lords.
The new email releases also show Mandelson told Epstein on March 11, 2011: ‘Lunch and afternoon at friends at nice house in mountains outside Rio.
‘UK doesn’t compete. Boring people in England, all either star struck or violently hostile. And not so pretty.’
That message came as he forwarded to Epstein an earlier email to another businessman in which Mandelson discussed his finances.
Emails from Peter Mandelson discussing a potential purchase of an apartment in Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro are among those included in the latest release of Epstein-related documents
Peter Mandelson (right) has expressed his regrets about a former friendship with the late financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (left), who died in prison in 2019
Mandelson wrote: ‘I am sure you are right to be cautious about economy.
‘Question is whether my income will be seriously cut in bad scenario.’
That email appears to suggest discussions of a potential move to Brazil, the homeland of Mandelson’s husband Reinaldo – the couple having lived together since 1998 and marrying in October 2023.
Mandelson writes in an email on March 20, 2011: ‘The issue for me is whether I want to sacrifice almost every other income use in order to do Rio (including annual taxes, upkeep etc).
‘There are two answers to this. One, what else is there to do with my income?
‘Of course I would like a bigger home in London but this is not vital.
‘I would like somewhere in country but again this is not vital, and I would prob only use it once or twice a month at most because of work and travel.
‘Second, most important, in addition to wanting Rio base for R (we are a partnership) I really like the place more than I expected.
A photograph of Lord Mandelson talking to a woman wearing a white bath robe was released as part of the Epstein files
Sir Keir Starmer (right) has come under pressure for his appointment of Peter Mandelson (left) as Britain’s ambassador to the US in early 2025 – the peer was sacked last September
‘Sea, shops, variety, services, exercise, people, weather, surrounding mountains all positive for me. Language is handicap but not a disqualifier.’
These come after it was revealed how Mandelson was tasked with finding Epstein a young assistant and a house in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh.
In a message sent to the former Labour peer dated December 25, 2010, the disgraced financier wrote: ‘Find me a new assistant„ ,multi lingaul, 22-25 , wants to travel.. or in additon fin a house in marrakcsh [sic].’
Mandelson replied to the request, saying: ‘You mean instead of Sarah?’
‘In addition to,’ Epstein clarified – with Mandelson replying: ‘Thank god.’
The exchange took place following another conversation between the pair, in which Mandelson discussed extensively his goals for his ‘post ministerial life’, after serving as business secretary under Gordon Brown from 2008 to 2010.
He outlined plans concerning his advisory firm, Global Counsel, and his relationship with investment banks such as JP Morgan, HSBC, Barclays and Lazard.
‘Reflecting on our phone call, I hope I can do something with JPM. I told Lazard that I have been asked to do an event in China for JPM as well as a dinner in Hanoi for Barclays and an evening in London for HSBC,’ he wrote to Epstein.
Peter Mandelson sits with Jeffrey Epstein as he blows out the candles on a cake, in an undated photograph released by the US Department of Justice
‘They say they happy with this [sic]. What they won’t accept is my travelling round generally with another bank’s name on my ticket.
‘Where appropriate they want me to bear the Lazard brand – push business their way. Lazard will help my own and Global Counsel’s brand.’
He continued: ‘So if I am going to do something for JPM, it should be a discreet Global Counsel project, something that does not directly compromise my Lazard relationship and which also does not trample on Tony’s territory.
‘At this stage in my post ministerial life, I am learning. But I am a quick learner. My aim is to acquire enough knowledge and networks in time to participate in real deals.
‘I do not want to live by salary alone. That’s why I need to do as much as possible to build with JPM.’
Mandelson’s own personal company Willbury Ltd has been making a fortune outside Parliament.
The company now has reserves of £1,715,241, while the most recent set of accounts revealed he and husband Reinaldo were loaned £157,110 by the firm including interest in 2024.
The loan amount regarding Mandelson’s business Willbury Ltd has been steadily increasing over the years – having been £59,306 in 2023 and £3,526 in 2022.
Mandelson (left) was sacked as Britain’s ambassador to Washington in September last year, after Downing Street said new information about his relationship with Epstein (right) emerged
The Guardian reported in 2015 how Mandelson collected £400,000 from the company, charged 3.25 per cent interest.
A loan has to be repaid within nine months and one day to avoid paying a hefty tax penalty on the sum.
Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant and director of campaign group Tax Research UK, told the newspaper: ‘How to extract cash from small companies whilst paying as little tax as possible on the way is a massive part of the UK tax avoidance industry.
‘Directors taking loans from companies they own is one way in which this is done, which has been widely condemned in the past when done by footballers and others.
‘It’s just about impossible to think this is motivated by anything but tax avoidance.
‘All politicians, including members of the House of Lords, should not only be seen to comply with the spirit of the law on tax but should be required to do so as a condition of holding office.’
A spokesman for Mandelson said at the time: ‘Willbury Ltd is the company that oversees all of Lord Mandelson’s writing, public speaking, broadcasting and personal commercial undertakings.
‘It pays all relevant UK corporate taxes and Lord Mandelson pays all relevant personal taxes.’
