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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure in parliament over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
Mandelson's figure emerged in the Epstein dossier, amid allegations that he provided confidential information to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein almost two decades earlier.
British police said they were investigating the allegations in the newly released dossier, which revealed a close relationship between the two, financial dealings and private photos. At the time, Epstein was serving an 18-month prison sentence for exploiting a minor in Florida, while Mandelson was the British government's business minister.
According to the documents, Mandelson had lobbied the US government on banking regulations, following a request from Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to lawmakers, Starmer said it was extremely irritating that Mandelson had repeatedly lied about his relationship with Epstein and that he regretted naming him.
Meanwhile, Mandelson himself has previously admitted that he was wrong to maintain a relationship with Epstein after the latter's conviction in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution and encouraging prostitution. "I was wrong to trust Epstein and to continue my relationship with him. I apologise unequivocally to the women and girls who suffered as a result," he said.
In a recent interview with The Times, Mandelson referred to some "historically wrong emails" that he said he deeply regretted, describing Epstein as "a piece of garbage that you can't get out of your shoe."
The police investigation is expected to shed light on the nature of the contacts and whether there were any legal violations in the exercise of public functions by the former senior British official.
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