The Epstein and Mandelson Emails - A Look At Previous Political Scandals

2nd February 2026

The leaked correspondence between Peter Mandelson, a former Labour Cabinet minister and EU Commissioner, and Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and financier, revealed ethically troubling exchanges.

The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer believes Peter Mandelson should not be a member of the House of Lords.

Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday night, saying he wanted to save the party "further embarrassment".

Financial Role Negotiations
Mandelson sought Epstein's advice on a lucrative Deutsche Bank adviser role worth up to $6 million. The role was framed as helping the bank access governments and corporations, raising concerns about Mandelson selling political influence.

Policy Influence
Mandelson told Epstein he was "trying hard" to change UK government policy on bankers' bonuses at Epstein's request. This came months after Epstein had paid thousands of pounds to Mandelson's husband, suggesting a possible quid pro quo arrangement.

Personal Ties
Epstein accused Mandelson of neglect in emails, showing a close personal relationship. Mandelson's name appeared 5,938 times in Epstein’s files, highlighting extensive contact.

Ethical and Legal Concerns
Reputationally damaging
Maintaining ties with Epstein after his conviction, seeking career advice, and appearing in thousands of emails.

Potentially criminal
The combination of Epstein’s payments, Mandelson’s efforts to influence policy, and job negotiations could amount to bribery, corruption, or misconduct in public office if proven.

UK Politicians and Corruption/Bribery Convictions (1995-2025)
Mandelson’s case fits into a broader pattern of UK political scandals. Over the past 30 years, several politicians have been convicted or disgraced for corruption, bribery, or fraud:

Convictions
Jonathan Aitken (Conservative MP, 1999): Convicted of perjury related to arms deal corruption allegations; jailed.

MP Expenses Scandal (2010-2011)

David Chaytor, Elliot Morley, Jim Devine, Eric Illsley, Lord Taylor of Warwick → convicted of false expenses claims, sentenced to prison.

Nathan Gill (UKIP MEP, 2025)
Convicted under the Bribery Act 2010 for accepting covert payments to deliver pro-Russian messaging in the European Parliament.

Neil Hamilton (Conservative MP, 1990s)
Found liable in civil court for the "cash-for-questions" scandal (accepting money from Mohamed Al-Fayed to ask parliamentary questions).

Major Scandals Without Convictions
Cash-for-Honours (2006-2007)
Allegations that Labour donors were offered peerages in exchange for loans. Police investigated but no charges.

Owen Paterson (Conservative MP, 2021)
Found guilty of paid lobbying for private companies while in office. Forced to resign, but not prosecuted.

Peter Mandelson (Labour, 1998 & 2001): Twice resigned from Cabinet over undeclared loans and alleged favours, though never charged.

Cash-for-Access (2012) Conservative Party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas caught offering access to the Prime Minister for donations. Resigned, no charges.

Patterns Across Three Decades
1990s: "Cash-for-questions" and Jonathan Aitken’s perjury conviction set the tone for corruption scandals.

2000s
Labour faced "cash-for-honours" and Mandelson’s resignations.

2010s
The expenses scandal led to multiple MPs jailed for fraud.

2020s
Lobbying scandals (Paterson) and Nathan Gill’s bribery conviction show corruption concerns remain alive.

The Epstein-Mandelson emails highlight how personal ties, financial negotiations, and policy influence can blur the line between reputational damage and potential criminality. While Mandelson has not been convicted, the emails suggest ethically dubious behaviour that echoes past UK scandals.

Over the last 30 years, UK politics has seen:

Convictions for fraud and bribery (Aitken, expenses scandal MPs, Nathan Gill).

Scandals without convictions (cash-for-honours, lobbying cases, Mandelson’s resignations).

Together, these cases show that while outright criminal convictions are relatively rare, ethical lapses and corruption scandals have repeatedly undermined public trust in UK politics.