Mandelson emailed Tony Blair’s chief of staff to introduce his 'safe friend' Jeffrey Epstein

In an email sent by Mandelson in 2002 to Jonathan Powell, Mr Blair’s chief of staff during his time as Prime Minister, he tried to broker a meeting, writing that “when Clinton saw TB [Tony Blair] he said he wanted to introduce his travelling friend, Jeffrey Epstein.

"I mentioned to TB that Jeffrey is in London next week and he said he would like to meet him.”

He goes on to ask Mr Powell to let Mandelson know if Tony Blair will be available to meet.

He describes paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein as “someone who has his finger on the pulse of many worldwide markets and currencies” and adds that he is “young and vibrant.”

“He is safe (whatever that means) and Clinton is now doing a lot of travelling with him,” the email states.

The email was sent in May 2002. Epstein was sentenced to jail in 2008 after pleading guilty to soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.

It emerged last year that Sir Tony Blair did meet with Epstein in Downing Street while still prime minister, following lobbying by Mandelson.

In 2002 Bill Clinton said of Epstein: “Jeffrey is both a highly successful financier and a committed philanthropist with a keen sense of global markets and an in-depth knowledge of 21st-century science."

Government files about Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador also revealed that he pushed for more than half a million pounds as a severance payment when he was sacked.

The first set of files related to Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US were released by the government today, revealing details of the former Labour peer's relationship with the infamous sex trafficker.

The files reveal Lord Mandelson requested the government "pay out the remainder of the 4-year salary costs of the fixed term appointment”, which would have amounted to £547,201.

Instead, he was given £40,330 to cover the three-month notice period in his contract, plus an additional £34,670 severance payment.

The documents also show the PM was told his hiring process seemed "weirdly rushed" in a call before Mandelson was appointed ambassador.

Read more: Peter Mandelson no longer under bail conditions but investigation continues

Elsewhere, the documents reveal Mandelson played a key role in organising a meeting between Epstein and former PM Tony Blair on the 14th of May, 2002.

One document shows Sir Keir Starmer was warned there was a “general reputational risk” over Mandelson’s relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein before giving him the role of ambassador to the US.

The Government has released an initial batch of papers relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment after MPs ordered the publication of the files.

A “due diligence” document drawn up in December 2024 before Lord Mandelson’s appointment to the Washington role noted a series of reports detailing his links with Epstein.

The document noted that after Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008 “their relationship continued across 2009-2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was business minister and continuing after the end of the Labour government”, noting that “Mandelson reportedly stayed in Epstein’s house while he was in jail in June 2009”.

The report given to Sir Keir flagged that Lord Mandelson maintained ties to Jeffrey Epstein after he was convicted of procuring an underage girl and stayed at his house while he was imprisoned.

In a section entitled Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein, the report said: “A 2019 report commissioned by JPMorgan found that Epstein appeared to ‘maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government’.

“The report cited Epstein’s personal records which showed contact beginning in 2002 and continuing throughout the 2000s.

“After Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008, their relationship continued across 2009-2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was business minister and continuing after the end of the Labour government. Mandelson reportedly stayed in Epstein’s House while he was in jail in June 2009.“

In 2014 Mandelson also agreed to be a ‘founding citizen’ of an ocean conservation group founded by Ghislaine Maxwell, and funded by Epstein.

"On reporting of the JP Morgan report, Lord Mandelson’s spokesperson 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’.”

The report also pointed to a 2024 Telegraph report on the pair’s links. It also said: “The Cabinet Office holds official records that are likely to be released by the National Archives early next year, which relate to a Tony Blair meeting with Epstein that was facilitated by Mandelson.”

The due diligence report concluded: “To note – general reputational risk.”