Mandelson Says Being U.K. Ambassador to U.S. Was ‘Privilege’ of His Life After Being Sacked Over Epstein Emails

Peter Mandelson has broken his silence after being removed from his position as United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the United States at the direction of U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Mandelson's fate was announced on Thursday morning after new information came to light regarding his “relationship” with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a letter to staff at the British embassy in Washington, D.C., Mandelson said the role had been the "privilege" of his life and that of his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva. He went on to address the reasoning behind his removal and said he feels "utterly awful" about his "association" with Epstein.

"The circumstances surrounding the announcement today are ones which I deeply regret. I continue to feel utterly awful about my association with Epstein twenty years ago and the plight of his victims," he said. "I have no alternative to accepting the Prime Minister's decision and will leave a position in which I have been so incredibly honoured to serve."

Mandelson praised the "unique" relationship between the U.K. and U.S. and said he's leaving that relationship "in a really good condition," adding a mention of the U.S.-U.K. Technology Partnership, which he referred to as his "personal pride and joy."

Read More: Epstein Victims Call on Congress to Release Files

The Foreign Office explained the reasoning behind Mandelson's sacking on Thursday morning.

“In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as Ambassador,” read the statement. “The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”

Honing in on a specific aspect of the exchanges between Mandelson and Epstein, the statement continued: "Peter Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information. In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes he has been withdrawn as Ambassador with immediate effect."

Newly-uncovered emails show messages of support from Lord Mandelson to Epstein whilst he was facing charges of soliciting a minor in June 2008. “Your friends stay with you and love you,” Mandelson is quoted as saying in one of more than 100 messages sent between the pair from 2005 to 2010.

“I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened… I can still barely understand it. It just could not happen in Britain. You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release, and be philosophical about it as much as you can,” Mandelson is quoted as writing in another email.

Stephen Doughty, Minister of State of the United Kingdom for Europe and North America, made the announcement of Mandelson’s removal in the House of Commons on Thursday, amid mounting pressure on Starmer to take action following the resurfaced emails.

Mandelson’s name also featured heavily in Epstein’s newly-released “birthday book,” which publicized letters of well wishes said to be sent from various high-profile figures, including President Donald Trump, marking the occasion of Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.

Amid growing calls for Congress to release the full Epstein files, the White House staunchly denied that Trump wrote Epstein a birthday note, but stopped short of calling the documents fake.

In his birthday note, Mandelson referred to Epstein as “my best pal.”

Mandelson previously told the Financial Times: "I regret ever meeting him or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell." [Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors.]

In an interview with The Sun earlier this week, Mandelson echoed this sentiment, saying: “I feel a tremendous sense of regret not only that I met him [Epstein] in the first place, but that I continued the association and I took at face value the lies that he fed me and many others.”

Read More: House Panel Releases Note From Epstein ‘Birthday Book’ Trump Denies Writing

TIME has reached out to the House of Lords and the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment.

Starmer’s decision to remove Mandelson marks a sharp turn from his previous statements.

When leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch called the communications between Mandelson and Epstein “sickening” on Wednesday and demanded for him to be fired, Starmer said: “The Ambassador has repeatedly expressed his deep regret for his association with him. I have confidence in him and he’s playing an important role in the U.K.-U.S. relationship.”

Following Mandelson’s dismissal, Badenoch reinforced her criticism of Starmer, saying that he had “failed yet another key test of leadership.”

“He gave his full backing to a man unfit for office,” said Badenoch on Thursday.

Mandelson's removal from his position has also prompted reactions from U.S. lawmakers.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a Democrat, is currently spearheading a bipartisan effort with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky to gather enough signatures to force the House to vote on a bill that would require the Department of Justice to release all known files it has on Epstein.

Upon hearing of Mandelson’s sacking on Thursday morning, Khanna said: “For those who ask why Massie and I are pursuing this matter with persistence, despite political blowback, the answer is that rich and powerful men who covered for Epstein must be held accountable. Mandelson is an example. He’s on the left, so it’s not political.”