Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, Jeffrey Epstein and the ‘wise Australian man’ draw net tighter around Starmer

An Australian link to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal engulfing UK Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emerged.

It involves a meeting brokered by Sir Keir’s former US Ambassador Peter Mandelson, who was sacked less than eight months into the job over the depth of his relationship with the dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr Mandelson sought a meeting for Epstein with Tony Blair at Number 10 Downing Street in 2002, when Mr Blair was prime minister.

On 7 May, 2022, Mr Mandelson emailed Jonathan Powell, who was then Mr Blair’s Chief of Staff but now serves as National Security Adviser to Sir Keir.

Mr Mandelson said that Bill Clinton had previously suggested that Mr Blair meet Epstein who the former US President referred to as his “travelling friend.”

He said that Mr Blair would be “interested in meeting Jeffrey, who is also a friend of mine, because Jeffrey is an active scientific catalyst/entrepreneur as well as someone who has his finger on the pulse of many worldwide markets and currencies,” Mr Mandelson emailed.

“He is young and vibrant. He is safe (whatever that means) and Clinton is now doing a lot of travelling with him.”

On May 14, 2002, a document included in this week’s release of files relating to Mr Mandelson’s appointment but previously published by the National Archives under Freedom of Information rules, showed senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft writing advice to Mr Blair about the 5pm meeting with Epstein scheduled for that day.

The British press had previously quoted Mr Blair’s spokesman saying that the meeting lasted 30 minutes and focused on British and American politics.

But an email Epstein sent to himself, 16 years later, in the months before his arrest for sex trafficking underage girls, released by the US Department of Justice, shows the financier recalling that they discussed personal spiritual matters as well.

“I met Tony at number 10. He told me then that his future goal was to understand the nature that religion plays in world conflicts.

“He told me that he had a wise religioius man in Australia that he would consult when he needed personal advice. btw I am very happy to be called your friend.”

The Times of London identified the Australian religious man as likely to be Peter Thomson, a Melbourne Anglican priest who died in 2020 and is said to have awakened Tony Blair’s interest in religion — they met at Oxford.

The revelation underlines the New Labour web that created Keir Starmer’s premiership but is now threatening to bring it down.

Sir Keir had insisted that he did not know the nature of Mr Mandelson’s relationship with Mr Epstein.

“He had portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew. And when that became clear and it was not true, I sacked him” Sir Keir said in February.

But documents released this week showed that he was warned in due diligence report that the appointment carried “reputational risk.”

Mr Powell later expressed concern that it was “weirdly rushed.”

Mr Starmer, who is under attack from all opposition parties, and his own backbench, apologised.

“I made a mistake in appointing Peter Mandelson,” he said.

“It was me that made a mistake, and it’s me that makes the apology to the victims of Epstein, and I do that.”

“I am astonished that the prime minister can actually look himself in the mirror right now,” Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch said.

“It is very clear that he told lie after lie, after lie, after lie.

“Labour MPs in good conscience should be looking at whether this man should be leading the country.”

But Labour MPs who want to kick Sir Keir out of Number 10 are waiting for the May local elections before making any move.