The firing of Britain's ambassador to the U.S. over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein sets up a "supremely awkward" visit from President Donald Trump, according to an English journalist.
The U.S. president will make his second state visit to Britain next week, just days after Prime Minster Keir Starmer asked his foreign ministry to withdraw Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. over newly released emails showing how close he was to Epstein – who also had been a longtime friend of Trump.
"Peter Mandelson had been just just turned up as ambassador in January, and he was picked as a sort of – he's a big, big figure in the Labour Party," said Ed Luce, chief U.S. commentator for the Financial Times. "He was one of Tony Blair's gurus, helped reinvent Labour the whole third-way thing, controversial career, you know, had to resign a couple of times from Blair's government. But it turns out he was a good friend of of Epstein, and he he'd been part of that notorious birthday, 50th birthday greetings book, so Keir Starmer, I think, had no choice but to fire him."
Mandelson wrote a letter to Epstein in that infamous 50th birthday book describing the late financier as his "best pal," but Trump has also faced questions about a note he wrote to the convicted pedophile depicting a female figure and joking about the secrets the two shared.
"The timing is supremely awkward because Donald Trump is visiting Britain on a state visit next week, and, of course, Donald Trump doesn't want to hear the word Epstein ever again, so this is this is kind of an awkward moment," Luce said. "But I think it's the end of Peter Mandelson's career, a very talented politician, you know, ethically, fairly challenged and not surprised he was fired. I'm surprised it wasn't, you know, yesterday, frankly, but the context is this state visit of Trump to Britain and Epstein is just on on the front page of every newspaper and will be next week."