No 10 Rejected Ethics Vet for Mandelson-Epstein Links 2026

Key Points

• Britain’s Civil Service ethics chief, Darren Tierney, twice offered to formally interview Lord Mandelson over his links to Jeffrey Epstein before his appointment as US ambassador, but was rebuffed by Sir Keir Starmer’s team, as revealed by The Telegraph.
• A December 2024 due diligence report by Tierney’s Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team warned of Lord Mandelson’s association with Epstein posing a “reputational risk” to the Government, noting their friendship continued after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting child prostitution.
• Tierney contacted the private secretary of Morgan McSweeney, then Sir Keir’s chief of staff, once before and once after the report, offering to probe the Epstein friendship and other issues like Global Counsel lobbying.
• No 10 effectively shut out the Civil Service ethics team; instead, McSweeney, a political protégé of Mandelson, emailed the peer directly about Epstein contacts post-conviction, staying in his home during prison, and ties to Ghislaine Maxwell’s marine charity.
• Mandelson’s responses to McSweeney were approved by Lord Doyle, No 10’s director of communications and a personal friend, who socialised with him in December 2024; both emails withheld from “Mandelson Files” at Metropolitan Police request due to criminal proceedings.
• Sir Keir Starmer stated he would “never have appointed” Mandelson if aware of the “depth” of Epstein ties, claiming Mandelson “lied” in responses; on Wednesday, he told MPs the process “wasn’t strong enough” and pledged improvements.
• Downing Street sources did not dispute the first Tierney offer but denied a second; interviews not mandatory but normally suggested; Tierney also offered to question George Osborne for the role.
• Lord Doyle resigned from No 10 three months post-appointment for unrelated reasons, nominated for peerage by Starmer in December 2025, stripped of Labour whip in February 2026 over friendship with paedophile councillor Sean Morton.
• Government spokesman: process for political appointee followed per Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards; Starmer strengthening future vetting.
• Mandelson Files first batch published last week; due diligence highlighted Epstein as “general reputational risk,” referencing Telegraph’s 2024 coverage; Starmer warned personally of repercussions.
• Jonathan Powell called process “weirdly rushed”; Philip Barton objected; Mandelson requested £500,000+ severance, settled at £75,000.

London (Britain Today News) March 19, 2026 – Sir Keir Starmer’s Downing Street team twice rejected offers from the Civil Service ethics chief to vet Lord Peter Mandelson’s controversial links to Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him as UK ambassador to the United States, newly released files reveal.

The rebuff, detailed in the “Mandelson Files” published last week, effectively sidelined the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team, leaving the process in the hands of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s then chief of staff and a close ally of Mandelson. A due diligence report from December 2024 explicitly warned of reputational risks tied to Mandelson’s post-conviction friendship with the paedophile financier, who died in 2019.

Who Offered to Vet Lord Mandelson and Why Was It Rejected?

Darren Tierney, head of the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team in late 2024, approached senior No 10 staff to conduct formal interviews with Mandelson ahead of his US ambassador nomination, The Telegraph can reveal. As reported by journalists at The Telegraph, Tierney contacted McSweeney’s private secretary twice: once before completing the due diligence report and once afterwards.

The offers aimed to scrutinise Mandelson’s Epstein friendship – which persisted after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting child prostitution – and potential ethics issues from his firm Global Counsel’s historical lobbying. Sources close to the process indicated such Civil Service interviews could have uncovered deeper Epstein connections. Downing Street sources acknowledged the initial offer but denied a second, noting interviews are not required but often suggested for further information.

Tierney reportedly made a similar offer to question former Tory chancellor George Osborne, considered for the role around the same time.

What Did the Due Diligence Report Warn About Epstein Links?

The December 2024 report, compiled by Tierney’s team, flagged Mandelson’s Epstein association as a “reputational risk” to the Government, as detailed in The Telegraph’s coverage. It noted the pair remained friends post-conviction, with Mandelson staying at Epstein’s home while he was imprisoned for the offence.

The document referenced extensive prior reporting, including The Telegraph’s January 2024 article on their ties, and a 2019 JP Morgan assessment of Epstein’s close bonds with Mandelson and Prince Andrew. It also mentioned Mandelson’s involvement with a marine charity run by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate.

As per the files, officials warned Starmer personally: Ninjeri Pandit, his principal private secretary, noted McSweeney had quizzed Mandelson on Epstein, with Doyle reviewing responses as “satisfactory” despite the risks.

How Did Morgan McSweeney Handle the Vetting Instead?

With the ethics team excluded, McSweeney – one of Mandelson’s political protégés from his early Labour days – emailed the peer directly, The Telegraph reports. Questions covered post-conviction contacts, reports of staying in Epstein’s home during his imprisonment, and Maxwell charity links.

Both Mandelson’s responses and McSweeney’s emails were withheld from the public Mandelson Files at the Metropolitan Police’s request, citing prejudice to criminal proceedings. The Times revealed McSweeney used his personal email and WhatsApp for these communications, none disclosed.

BBC reporting confirms the due diligence relied on public info like media coverage of the known post-2008 friendship.

What Role Did Lord Doyle Play in Approving Mandelson?

Lord Doyle (Matthew Doyle), No 10’s director of communications, approved Mandelson’s responses to McSweeney, deeming them sufficient. A released document shows Doyle socialised with Mandelson in December 2024, the month of the appointment decision.

Both Doyle and McSweeney viewed Mandelson as a friend – Doyle from New Labour Downing Street days – raising impartiality questions. Doyle resigned three months later for unrelated reasons, received a Starmer-nominated peerage in December 2025, and lost the Labour whip in February 2026 over ties to paedophile councillor Sean Morton, charged with indecent images possession from 2016 campaigning.

Doyle apologised, saying he disbelieved claims against Morton then.

What Has Sir Keir Starmer Said About the Appointment?

Sir Keir has repeatedly claimed he would “never appoint” Mandelson had he known the “depth” of Epstein ties, accusing the peer of lying in vetting responses. On Wednesday, addressing MPs, he admitted:

“clear the appointment process wasn’t strong enough,”

pledging strengthened vetting.

In BBC coverage, Starmer acknowledged a “mistake,” apologising to Epstein victims for trusting Mandelson. He denied misleading Commons, blaming process flaws like announcing roles pre-vetting, now banned. Changes include no announcements before full vetting.

Sky News analysis questions the mistake’s scale as more files loom.

What Is the Government’s Official Response?

A government spokesman stated:

“As set out by the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, the process in place at the time for a political appointee was followed. The Prime Minister has taken steps to strengthen the process for political appointments going forward.”

Sir Laurie Magnus rejected Tory calls for inquiry, saying process appeared followed. Chief secretary Darren Jones noted the report underplayed tie “depth,” with more files pending police/ISC review.

What Do the Mandelson Files Reveal Beyond Vetting?

The first batch highlights “weirdly rushed” process per Jonathan Powell, Foreign Office objections from Philip Barton, and Mandelson’s £500,000+ severance claim, compromised at £75,000. Files reference potential Blair-Epstein meetings via Mandelson and US-released emails on 2008 crisis info shared with Epstein.

Mandelson was sacked September 2025, resigned Labour February 2026, arrested for misconduct (released, denies wrongdoing). In BBC interview, he called friendship a “terrible mistake,” claiming ignorance of Epstein’s crimes as he was “kept separate” being gay.