The Jeffrey Epstein scandal has claimed its first high-profile political figure in Britain. On Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the dismissal of Peter Mandelson, the UK’s ambassador to the United States, following revelations of his personal relationship with the disgraced financier.

The controversy erupted after Democratic members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee released Epstein’s 50th birthday “guest book,” in which Mandelson had handwritten a message calling Epstein “my best friend.”

Further reporting by the British newspaper The Sun uncovered a series of emails Mandelson exchanged with Epstein in 2008 while Epstein was serving time for soliciting a minor. In the messages, Mandelson urged him to remain resilient, fight for early release, and view the ordeal as an opportunity to come out “even stronger.”

“Your people and I feel despair and anger about what has happened. I still can’t understand it… you must be incredibly resilient and fight for your early release,” Mandelson wrote in one of the emails.

Before the leaks, Mandelson had admitted that “embarrassing details” of his friendship with Epstein might surface but insisted he had never witnessed any criminal activity.

Despite those claims, Starmer moved swiftly to end Mandelson’s diplomatic posting, noting that full background checks had been carried out before his appointment but that the newly revealed information made his position untenable.

The dismissal comes as U.S. authorities continue to examine Epstein’s records for potential links to prominent political figures, including President Donald Trump.