Summary: Senior figures in Washington raised serious concerns about Lord Mandelson long before his appointment as UK ambassador to the United States. According to The Telegraph, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Labour figures about Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein and China. Those warnings were relayed to Downing Street and ignored, adding fresh weight to claims of catastrophic judgment at the very top of government.

White House Asked Labour A Simple Question

Fresh reporting by The Telegraph has revealed that Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, raised direct concerns about Lord Mandelson before Labour pushed through his appointment as ambassador to Washington. Sources say the mood inside the White House was one of disbelief, with officials privately asking Labour what on earth they were doing.

Rubio is understood to have expressed deep unease about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and his links to China. These concerns were not vague rumours or internet gossip. They came from the heart of the US administration and were passed back to Downing Street before the appointment went ahead.

Despite that, Sir Keir Starmer pressed on. Mandelson was given one of the most sensitive diplomatic jobs Britain has, only to be forced out nine months later when the scale of his Epstein connections became public.

Warnings Ignored As Judgment Collapses

The revelations land badly for a Prime Minister already fighting for survival. Starmer has now admitted that he knew Mandelson continued his relationship with Epstein after the financier’s conviction, yet still signed off the appointment. The idea that US officials were also raising red flags at the same time only deepens the sense of recklessness.

Lord Glasman, a Labour peer, has confirmed that he warned Starmer both privately and publicly not to make the appointment. He says he passed on concerns shared by senior figures in Washington, but those warnings were brushed aside.

Speaking to GB News, Glasman said it was obvious in Washington that Mandelson was toxic. He described officials showing him photographs of Mandelson with Epstein on their phones, adding that Mandelson had leaked government secrets and pressured ministers on behalf of foreign interests.

Pressure Builds On Starmer Inner Circle

The scandal has now spread beyond Mandelson himself. Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and the man blamed for pushing the appointment, is under intense pressure from Labour MPs. Several have said openly that when a chief of staff becomes the story, it is usually the beginning of the end.

This week, a Labour revolt forced Starmer to hand control of the Mandelson files to Parliament’s intelligence and security committee, stripping No 10 of the power to decide what gets published. It was another humiliating climbdown in a premiership already littered with U turns.

For ordinary voters, the picture is stark. Warnings from allies were ignored. Vetting failed. Damage control came first. And only when the truth became unavoidable did accountability begin to surface. The Mandelson affair is no longer just about one disgraced peer. It is about whether the Prime Minister can be trusted to make serious decisions in Britain’s national interest.