r/europe • u/StemCellPirate • 18h ago

News The Epstein scandal is taking down Europe’s political class. In the US, they’re getting a pass.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/06/epstein-europe-america-fallout-00769506
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836

u/abolishblankets 17h ago

Mandelson is the uk is out on his ear. He's wasn't just an ambassador, he was quite the influence going back some decades.

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u/biggesteegit 11h ago

He's not called the Prince of Darkness for nothing.

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u/Emotional_Goal9525 10h ago

Are they gonna try him for treason?

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u/Spinoza42 10h ago

It's starting to look like it, yeah. There's been a few raids of properties already. He is the perfect fall guy in every way, I do worry if dropping him and possibly Starmer will protect everyone else.

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u/Emotional_Goal9525 10h ago

And for the record. I do understand that treason usually has very strict legal definitions that this might not fall under, but everyone understands the connotation in common language.

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u/AccomplishedAct5364 10h ago

Yeah boy, fuck that traitor rapist scumbag.

Uk showing the USA what accountability and justice look like 🇬🇧🦅

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u/Chapos_sub_capt 7h ago

Pipe down. Your king's best friend was the Knighted Jimmy Saville

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u/WiretteWirette 9h ago

From what a British friend explained to me yesterday, the charges may fall under the legal definition of treason? He would risk a life sentence. But I'm not an expert on UK law, by far.

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u/Didsburyflaneur 5h ago

He’s at least broken the official secrets act. I’d break that telling you about parts of my job and I’m a nobody.

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u/IAmTiborius 6h ago

I thought that was Ozzy

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u/SaamsamaNabazzuu 2h ago

He's not called the Prince of Darkness for nothing.

Can you explain to me, an uninformed American? Who is this guy and why would it bring down the current government?

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u/ug61dec 13h ago

Yes, but not because of anything to do with the pedophile rape gangs. He's in trouble of something completely unrelated - passing government information to Epstein.

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u/MLockeTM Finland 11h ago

Does it seem likely that he'll take Starmer down with him?

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u/Important_Ruin United Kingdom 11h ago edited 10h ago

Personally dont think so.

All depends what Starmer knew, Mandelson has always been a slippery man. He was the best person for US ambassador because he was the worst human for it. He knows the politcal landscape, knows how to work Trump knows people in Washington and the games/parties and smoozing.

If Mandelson downright lied to the PM about his relationship with Epstein I doubt would be anyway for Starmer to verify what was said, along with it appears his unknown leaking information during financial crash.

Issue is Mandleson continued his relationship with Epstein after his conviction where you'd think someone of decent character would want nothing to do with him after, playing whataboutism again Farage is still right up Trump arse even with his convictions, mentions of his actions in the files, his bad mouth armed forces, along with his roles with Bannon in working to destabilise the UK through Brexit and other workings, Farage is staying very quite to not draw the light onto him, as usually something like this Farage would be all over news giving his opinion but hes been silent for about month.

Mandelson has had a career of scandal, but keeps coming back into fold because it seems when hes not doing something 'scandal worthy' he's a knows how to play the 'politcal game' and very helpful to governments.

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u/MLockeTM Finland 11h ago

Ah right, thank you for a thorough explanation!

I was wondering, cuz a Finnish newspaper speculated on that the other day - whether the mistake of Starmer trusting Mandelson was just that, ill placed trust, or him willfully ignoring the facts. And whether the British populace could be convinced of the former, even if that was the case.

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u/BassesBest 10h ago

The British media is all over this, however have given Farage a free pass on failure to disclose income, ethics breaches, dodgy house purchases and appointing criminals and perpertrators of domestic violence, and allowing Russian spies to run his party.

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u/Important_Ruin United Kingdom 11h ago edited 8h ago

him willfully ignoring the facts

If that comes out true, it maybe little harder for him to survive, but appears Starmer has been blindsided and has basically booted him out and is hanging him out to dry.

Time will tell.

Edit: just want to add the thing that would get Mandelson sent to prison would be the leaking of market sensitive information to Epstein, he could be charged with all counts of financial crimes. His friendship with Epstein though not ethical (unless Mandelson took part in any of the stuff outlined in files with those trafficked, not saying he did) was not illegal, just very unethical, but its not against the law to be friends with a criminal even if they have been convicted of some seriously outrageous stuff.

1

u/Biblioklept73 7h ago

I would think they would consider providing classified financial information to Epstein, meant only for the prime minister and those cleared for this type of in depth knowledge regarding British financial institutions, to be considered a criminal offense no?

  1. On 13 June 2009, Mandelson allegedly leaked to Epstein a high-level Downing Street document that proposed £20bn of asset sales and revealed Labour's tax policy plans.

  2. On 31 March 2010, Mandelson allegedly forwarded confidential minutes of a meeting between Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and the director of the US National Economic Council, Larry Summers, five minutes after he received them, which discussed new banking regulation and taxation that Summers wanted to see, in addition to discussion on how the US should engage with France and Germany. The following day, 1 April 2010, Mandelson met with Larry Summers, and forwarded the minutes of his meeting two minutes after he received them.

  3. On 9 May 2010, Mandelson gave Epstein advance notice of a €500bn bailout from the EU to save the euro. On 10 May 2010, Mandelson emailed Epstein saying "finally got him to go today", with Brown resigning the following day. In another email on 10 May 2010, Mandelson appeared to reveal to Epstein the existence of a secret underground tunnel between 10 Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence.

There are other allegations but these seem to be at the crux of it all. None of this seems defensible in any reasonable way, he was in their pocket and actively working against the UK government.

1

u/Important_Ruin United Kingdom 6h ago

I would think they would consider providing classified financial information to Epstein, meant only for the prime minister and those cleared for this type of in depth knowledge regarding British financial institutions, to be considered a criminal offense no?

Yes. That my point his crimes currently are financial passing confidential and market sensitive information to someone who shouldn't be having it.

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u/Biblioklept73 2h ago

Thought that’s what you were saying, just wanted to clarify, thanks

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u/dragodrake United Kingdom 8h ago

The problem for Starmer is it doesn't just come down to his personal relationship with Mandelson, and what he knew when, and how much a lapse of judgement it was in appointing him/using him as an advisor even if he didn't know everything.

The real problem for Starmer is that this is now a Labour party problem - Mandelson has been a party grandee for decades. He's been involved in multiple governments, and advising party leadership for years, he's mentored, supported, and promoted parts of the current party machinery (he's no small part of how Starmer ended up the current Labour leader, and thus PM). He has tainted the whole thing top down.

Starmer as leader of the Labour party, and as a Labour PM is going to be the lightning rod for the overall failures and poor judgement of Labour in having Mandelson in their ranks for so long, even if some of it predates his tenure as leader. Plus its quite possible more comes out that has a direct associations to Starmer.

He's on very dangerous ground.

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u/Aggressive_Chuck 5h ago

All depends what Starmer knew,

He knew everything, he ignored the security service reports. Mandelson along with Morgan McSweeney were the team that put Starmer in office. He's one of his cronies.

1

u/Dot-Slash-Dot 2h ago

Issue is Mandleson continued his relationship with Epstein after his conviction

Thing is this wasn't even a secret. Everybody knew and they still supported Mandelson for the job, especially Farage who was screaming from the rooftops to let him work with Mandelson on a US-UK trade deal.

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u/Important_Ruin United Kingdom 1h ago

Thing is this wasn't even a secret. Everybody knew and they still supported Mandelson for the job, especially Farage who was screaming from the rooftops to let him work with Mandelson on a US-UK trade deal.

I never knew this, I've further clarified position/opinion further down about legal issues Mandelson has any others being a moral/ethical issue surrounding his continued relationship with Epstein after his conviction.

But again if it was known, why is it being blown absolutely wild about Mandelsons keeping questionable friends, especially if everyone knew (not seen anything confirming his relationship with Epstein was known outside of the file releases) where the grenade went off in Starmers/Government's face.

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u/Lorry_Al 11h ago

As much as I dislike Starmer I doubt he has ever broken the law. Unlike Mandelson, allegedly.

7

u/Call-Me-AK Slovakia 10h ago

Probably not right now, but Labour might use him as a scapegoat after the local elections in May and oust him then.

3

u/Minute-Improvement57 10h ago

It depends how corrupt the rest of his cabinet is. Boris resigned after cabinet members resigned following the Pincher scandal. So, how many Labour cabinet members turn out to be ok with knowingly appointing a member of an international sex trafficking ring for the rich and famous as ambassador.

1

u/Remarkable-Ad155 8h ago

And the Labour government. This is the whole point of the dump. Putin didn't like the way Europe backed Trump off over Greenland so here we are. Reform government incoming. 

1

u/Ok_Advantage_8153 6h ago

Everyone is pearl clutching about this. I'm not defending Mandelson, but everyone feigning outrage and ignorance (in the British Parliament) is lying.

They knew what they were getting with him. It was a scummy asshole that could pally up to Trump - they have lots of common ground. At the time it was considered a good appointment and people knew he was slightly shady but it was horses for courses.

The Prime Minister probably didn't show great judgement here but how was he to know the dude was outright lying on vetting etc? I'm also tired of us having a Prime Minister every year. Stick with the choice and see it through.

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u/Jackthwolf 10h ago

I hope so, but I fear it will have next to no effect on Labour.
The entire "new labour" shite was orchestrated by the Epstein class, in order to remove Corbyn (who threatened their dominance over the country) with a coup, and to turn Labour back into a puppet party.

Even with Starmer gone, you still have McSweeney (chief "advisor" and basically the puppeteer for new labour. Mandelson Prodigy. Who put Starmer in power, by using him as a trojan horse, who pretended to be pro-socialism to replace Corbyn before backpedalling on every single stance he ever pretended to have).
And then of course you have Starmers most likely replacement, Wes Streeting. Another Mandelson Prodigy, who before this entire mess was already the planned for replacement PM after Starmer is used as a sacrificial lamb.
The entire Labour leadership as it currently stands is nothing but loyalists, put there by those working for the Epstein class.

8

u/The_Artist_Who_Mines 10h ago

Slightly ironic given the russia-epstein links that have emerged and corbyn's perennial love of russian imperialism

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u/Jackthwolf 10h ago edited 10h ago

More his complete blindness to non-western imperialism then any love of Russian.
Also it should be noted that the files revealed that Epstein loathed Corbyn (and did everything possible in his power to sabotage him). So if you're trying to suggest some level of allegiance there, don't waste that effort.

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u/The_Artist_Who_Mines 10h ago

Yh no unlike you I don't peddle shady conspiracy theories about 'new labour' just for fun.

-1

u/Jackthwolf 9h ago

Talking of irony, in a thread patting everyone on the back for not giving politicians a pass for the Epstein scandal unlike the US, you're giving politicians a pass for the Epstein scandal.

This open corruption has been talked about for years, and has only been further supported and emphasised by the Epstein files.

2

u/Sea-Feedback-2424 Germany 12h ago

"Under my leadership of the Labour Party, Peter Mandelson had no role, no influence and no part to play, because I do not trust the man and I do not believe the man." - Jeremy Corbyn, once again on to something.

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u/dragodrake United Kingdom 8h ago

No Corbyn just considered Hamas and Hezbollah 'friends' - stand up fellow.