He may have described himself as a ‘fighter not a quitter’, but even Peter Mandelson couldn’t survive new and lurid revelations about his relationship with convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. 

The ultimate political animal, Mandelson was no stranger to scandal – having twice been forced to resign from Tony Blair’s Cabinet. But brought back into the Labour fold by Gordon Brown after a successful stint as European Commissioner, the former spin doctor went on to enjoy a career renaissance – which eventually took him to Washington as the UK’s ambassador to the United States. 

However, Mandelson was summoned home from DC in disgrace, following the publication of a cache of embarrassing emails and other communications between himself and Epstein.  

Was his downfall inevitable? And should Sir Keir Starmer have known better than to entrust one of the biggest diplomatic roles in the world to a man with a track record of self-destruction? 

Niall is joined by former ambassador and National Security Advisor, Lord Ricketts, and Sky News’ former political editor, Adam Boulton. 

Producer: Emily Hulme 
Editor: Mike Bovill