UK's ambassador to Donald Trump Peter Mandelson gives 'chilling' reply to Jeffrey Epstein question

Peter Mandelson, present Britain's Ambassador to the US, became frustrated nether questioning during an interrogation marking his caller relation - branding involvement successful his narration with Epstein an 'obsession'

Peter Mandelson launched into a sweary tirade astatine a writer erstwhile asked astir his 'friendship' with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The Labour peer, present Britain's Ambassador to the US, became frustrated nether questioning during an interrogation with the Financial Times marking his caller relation - branding involvement successful his narration with Epstein an "obsession" and telling the newsman to "f*** off".

Lord Mandelson has not been accused of wrongdoing by an Epstein victim. But a 2019 JPMorgan interior study filed successful a New York tribunal successful 2023 described aggregate meetings betwixt the 2 men, stating: "Jeffrey Epstein appears to support a peculiarly adjacent narration with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Lord Peter Mandelson, a elder subordinate of the British government."

And emails which surfaced past week showed helium was inactive successful interaction with the disgraced financier arsenic precocious arsenic 2012. "I regret ever gathering him oregon being introduced to him by his spouse Ghislaine Maxwell," helium told the Financial Times (FT).

"I regret adjacent much the wounded helium caused to galore young women." He went on: "I'm not going to spell into this. It's an FT obsession and frankly you tin each f*** off. OK?"

In a abstracted interrogation Lord Mandeslon - a New Labour-era Cabinet curate - besides said his past comments astir the US President Donald Trump were "childish". He erstwhile described the Republic person arsenic "little abbreviated of a achromatic nationalist and racist".

And successful 2019 helium said: "Even those who person a sneaking admiration for Donald Trump due to the fact that of his personality, nevertheless respect him arsenic reckless, and a information to the world."

Lord Mandeslon, who volition soon regenerate Dame Karen Pierce successful Washington DC arsenic the UK's apical diplomat, suggested helium regretted the comments. He told the New York Times: "In 2019, I was a spot irate. But nonetheless, the words I utilized astir the president were childish and wrong."

The well-known person has sought to play down past comments astir Mr Trump since PM Keir Starmer appointed him to the ambassador relation successful December.

He praised Mr Trump arsenic a "nice person" and a "fair-minded person" who could go "one of the astir consequential American presidents I person known successful my big life" successful an interrogation with Fox News past week.