UK MEDIA MANDELSTON SACKED OVER EPSTEIN LINKS, URGED TONY BLAIR TO MEET EPSTEIN, BLAIR ATTENDED THE RECENT POLICY MEETING ON GAZA AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH KUSHNER AND TRUMP
The revelation that Tony Blair, who attended a policy meeting at the White House with Trump and Kushner two weeks ago, was encouraged by Peter Mandelson to meet Epstein in 2000, will fuel fears about the influence of the Epstein circle on Trump s foreign and other policy.
Mandelson also advised Epstein how to respond when facing criminal charges over soliciting a minor in 2008.
The scandal forced Starmer to sack Mandelson today.
From The Telegraph
Lord Mandelson has been sacked as Britain’s ambassador to the US following damaging new revelations about his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Sir Keir Starmer ordered his removal days after it emerged the Labour grandee had referred to the disgraced financier as his “best pal” in notes written for a book on Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.
A Telegraph investigation disclosed that Lord Mandelson had worked with Epstein on a £1billion business deal, while he was a government minister, after the late paedophile’s conviction for child sex offences.
When the new revelations about the ambassador broke, Sir Keir stood by him, saying he had full confidence in the peer.
But on Wednesday, leaked emails revealed that Lord Mandelson had advised Epstein how to respond when facing criminal charges over soliciting a minor in 2008.
From The Telegraph
Sir Keir Starmer’s Government blocked the release of a secret memo revealing Lord Mandelson urged Sir Tony Blair to meet Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Mandelson, who is now Britain’s ambassador to the United States, encouraged the then prime minister to meet his friend, the financier.
The advice was included in a note to Downing Street aides in 2002 and passed on to Sir Tony.
The memo, first reported by The Times, was scheduled to be released this year by the National Archives, in compliance with rules which state government papers should be revealed after 20 years.
The secret memo was written in May 2002, a year after Lord Mandelson’s second resignation from the Cabinet. Epstein was due to be in London, and the former minister suggested he and Sir Tony should meet.
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Tony Blair was asked if he would like to meet Jeffrey Epstein in 2002
Tony Blair was asked if he would like to meet Jeffrey Epstein in 2002 Credit: Alan Weller/FilmMagic
Sir Keir Starmer’s Government blocked the release of a secret memo revealing Lord Mandelson urged Sir Tony Blair to meet Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Mandelson, who is now Britain’s ambassador to the United States, encouraged the then prime minister to meet his friend, the financier.
The advice was included in a note to Downing Street aides in 2002 and passed on to Sir Tony.
The memo, first reported by The Times, was scheduled to be released this year by the National Archives, in compliance with rules which state government papers should be revealed after 20 years.
...
The secret memo was written in May 2002, a year after Lord Mandelson’s second resignation from the Cabinet. Epstein was due to be in London, and the former minister suggested he and Sir Tony should meet.
He is said to have argued that a meeting would be helpful to Sir Tony, given Epstein’s business interests and connections, and said it would be “safe” for the prime minister.
It is unclear if Sir Tony ever met Epstein. Asked whether they had met, a spokesman for the former prime minister declined to comment.
The memo was sent four years before allegations of sex abuse against the financier became public in 2006.
It was due to be released alongside an official summary of Lord Mandelson’s advice written for Sir Tony by the Civil Service and sent the following week.
But it is understood that the release was blocked because officials believed the document might embarrass Britain and harm relations with the US at a time when Lord Mandelson was trying to build relations with Donald Trump.
Decisions about which material to release to the National Archives are understood to be made every six months by civil servants in individual government departments, rather than ministers. The rules mean that Sir Keir’s government would have ruled on the letter earlier this year.
In the case of Lord Mandelson’s letter, the Cabinet Office would have been responsible for deciding whether material was exempt from release under freedom of information legislation.
Civil servants are given a list of possible exemptions for release, including the possibility that material may prejudice the UK’s foreign policy.
In the case of Lord Mandelson’s letter, it appears officials were concerned that his relationship with the US could be jeopardised by the release of information concerning Epstein.
They made use of an “international relations” exemption, which allows documents to be withheld from standard releases if “disclosure would, or would be likely to, harm UK interests”.
This includes any risk to relations with another state as well as harm to “the promotion or protection by the United Kingdom of its interests abroad”. Officials are also supposed to consider whether transparency and public debate outweigh these risks.
The documents are then reviewed by an advisory committee of senior lawyers and academics who have the power to decide on whether they are made public. They do not see the original documents and in most cases go along with government recommendations.
The Telegraph understands that no ministers were involved in the decision, which could be reviewed once Lord Mandelson is no longer in post.
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Sir Keir is facing mounting questions about his judgment in appointing Lord Mandelson and has refused to commit to releasing all documents about the ambassador’s connection with Epstein.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday he was repeatedly challenged by Kemi Badenoch but said he had “full confidence” in Lord Mandelson, insisting he was “playing an important role in the UK-US relationship”.
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