Lord Mandelson defiant despite fresh allegations of misconduct

In a new interview with the Times, Peter Mandelson has spoken about his decision to resign from the Labour Party. It’s apparent from his latest comments, that the disgraced lord gives no shits about anything besides his own feelings:

Blood brothers

Mandelson is currently floundering after the latest instalment of the Epstein Files exposes more details about his relationship to the deceased paedophile.

Bank statements, released in the files, show three unexplained payments totalling $75,000 from Epstein’s JP Morgan accounts to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004.

During his tenure as business secretary in 2009, Mandelson allegedly forwarded confidential UK government documents to Epstein. The documents detailed £20bn in potential asset sales. Owing to these revelations, Mandelson is currently under investigation by the London Metropolitan Police for misconduct while in office.

Now, Mandelson has spoken about the latest Epstein Files, as summarised by the Times’ political editor, Steven Swinford.

Lord Mandelson interview with [Katy Balls], who spoke to him both before and after the release of thousands of new Epstein emails

* On resigning from Labour. ‘The decision wasn’t easy but I feel better for it as I need to reset. I am a New Labour person and always will be wherever the current party situates itself. But I think I want a sea change. I want to be more an outsider looking in than the other way round. I want to contribute ideas that enable Britain to strengthen and to work for all, in every part of the country’

* On being sacked: ‘It felt like being killed without actually dying. It’s a unique experience. I mean, I’m navigating the experience because I have really good friends who are helping me do so, starting with Reinaldo more than anyone else’

* Says Epstein is ‘muck that you can’t get off your shoe… Like dog muck, the smell never goes away’

* On the $10,000 his partner accepted for an osteopathy course while he was business secretary. ‘In retrospect, it was clearly a lapse in our collective judgment for Reinaldo to accept this offer. At the time it was not a consequential decision
‘The idea that giving Reinaldo an osteopath bursary is going to sway mine or anyone else’s views about banking policy is risible.

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* What drew him to Epstein? ‘He was a classic sociopath. Outwardly, completely charming and engaging. He was very clever’

* Mandelson also says Epstein threw good dinner parties. ‘I remember one of the two dinner parties of his I went to. I sat next to someone in charge of brain research at Harvard. I was sitting opposite the founders of Google. At the other end of the table was Bill Gates. I think I also brushed past Noam Chomsky on a later date’

* On giving evidence to Congress: ‘There is nothing I can tell Congress about Epstein they don’t already know. I had no exposure to the criminal aspects of his life’

Mandelson refuses to take accountability

The public reaction to the article has not been positive, to put it mildly:

And, worryingly, Mandelson appears keen to continue working in the public sphere:

Well, he’s not sorry

Given his repeated refusals to apologise, it’s clear the disgraced Lord doesn’t give a shit about his past with Epstein — beyond the damage it’s done to his reputation. Leaving the Labour party appears to be little more than a symbolic gesture — a temporary retreat from the public spotlight, in other words.

Mandelson must now be stripped of his lordship and face criminal scrutiny for what his actions.

Featured image via Epstein Files