$75,000 in Payments, Policy Lobbying for a Convicted Paedophile, and a System That Protects the Elite While England Pays the Price
Introduction: When the Rot Reaches the Top, It’s Time to Cut England Free
Documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday reveal that Jeffrey Epstein – convicted sex offender and financier – made $75,000 in payments to accounts linked to Lord Peter Mandelson between 2003 and 2004. Emails show that in 2009, while serving as Business Secretary, Mandelson told Epstein he was “trying hard” to change government policy on bankers’ bonuses at Epstein’s request, writing “Treasury digging in but I am on case”.
Mandelson says he has “no record or recollection” of the payments and questions the authenticity of the documents. But the pattern is clear: a member of the House of Lords, appointed as UK ambassador to the US in 2024, sacked in 2025 after further Epstein revelations, and now resigning from Labour to avoid “further embarrassment” to the party.
This isn’t just another political scandal.
It’s a perfect snapshot of why England needs to end British rule and return to self‑governance.
Because when your so‑called representatives are taking money from convicted criminals, lobbying to protect bankers’ bonuses on behalf of a paedophile, and facing zero real consequences – the system isn’t broken, it’s working exactly as designed: for them, not for you.
The Facts: Payments, Policy, and a Protected Elite
Let’s be clear about what the documents show:
The payments
- Three separate transfers of $25,000 each from Epstein’s JP Morgan accounts, between May 2003 and June 2004
- The first payment went to a Barclays account listing Mandelson’s then‑partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva as account holder, with “Peter Mandelson” named as beneficiary
- Two further payments to HSBC accounts listing “Peter Mandelson” as sole beneficiary
- An additional £10,000 sent to da Silva in 2009 for an “osteopathy course”
The lobbying
- In December 2009, just days after Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a 50% tax on bankers’ bonuses to prevent taxpayer‑funded bailouts being used for massive payouts, Epstein asked Mandelson if the tax could be limited to just the cash portion of bonuses (leaving lucrative share options untaxed)
- Mandelson, then Business Secretary in Gordon Brown’s government, replied: “Trying hard to amend as I explained to Jes last night. Treasury digging in but I am on case”
- This was 18 months after the financial crash and bank bailouts – one of the most politically toxic moments for bankers in a generation – and a senior Cabinet minister was privately working to soften the blow for them, at the request of a convicted sex offender
The aftermath
- Mandelson was appointed UK ambassador to the US by Keir Starmer in December 2024
- He was sacked in September 2025 after further Epstein links emerged
- Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the government “was not aware” of the alleged financial links and removed Mandelson because “there were things he had not disclosed”
- Mandelson has now resigned from Labour, saying he doesn’t want to cause the party “further embarrassment”
Mandelson’s response? “No record or recollection”, questions about document authenticity, an apology for a “terrible mistake” in maintaining the friendship, and claims he was kept away from Epstein’s criminal activities.
The classic script: deny, doubt, then drip‑feed regret once the documents pile up.
Why This Matters for England: The Westminster System Protects Its Own
Here’s what makes this so damaging for English people watching from the outside:
1. The double standard is blatant
- If an ordinary English worker took £55,000 from a convicted criminal and then lobbied their employer on that criminal’s behalf, they’d be sacked and possibly prosecuted
- When a Lord does it, he gets appointed ambassador, then quietly moved on with a peerage intact and a full pension
2. Policy was shaped by a paedophile’s requests
- English taxpayers bailed out the banks in 2008
- A year later, when the government tried to claw back some of that through a bonus tax, a serving Cabinet minister was privately working to water it down – at the request of Jeffrey Epstein
- That means decisions affecting English families, workers and public finances were being influenced by one of the most notorious criminals of the modern era
3. The system closed ranks
- Mandelson was sacked as ambassador, but only after the story became impossible to ignore
- He still sits in the House of Lords
- No criminal investigation has been announced
- Labour accepted his resignation “with regret”
- The establishment’s priority is damage limitation, not justice or accountability
4. This is a pattern, not a one‑off
- MPs with undisclosed foreign links and second jobs
- Councillors drawing allowances while living abroad and standing for foreign parliaments
- Lords appointed for life with no meaningful oversight
- A revolving door between Westminster, the City, and global elites
When you stand back and look at the whole picture, one question becomes unavoidable:
Why should England continue to be governed by this system?
The Case for English Self‑Governance: It’s Time to Take Back Control
For years, people have talked about “reforming Westminster” or “cleaning up politics”.
The Epstein‑Mandelson files show why that’s a fantasy.
The system isn’t broken. It’s designed this way: to protect the elite, recycle the same names, and ensure that real accountability never lands on the people at the top.
That’s why the solution isn’t another inquiry, another code of conduct, or another promise to “do better”.
The solution is English self‑governance.
Here’s what that means in practice:
1. An English Parliament, accountable to English people
- England is the only nation in the UK without its own devolved parliament
- English laws, taxes and public services are decided by a Westminster system where Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs vote on England‑only matters, while England has no say in theirs
- An English Parliament would be directly accountable to English voters – no Lords, no unelected figures with life peerages, no cronies parachuted into ambassador roles
2. An elected second chamber – or none at all
- The House of Lords is an unelected relic stuffed with party donors, retired politicians and establishment insiders
- Mandelson sits there for life, with voting rights on English laws, despite everything now known about his links to Epstein
- England deserves a system where everyone with power over English lives has been chosen by English voters and can be removed by them
3. Transparency and standards enforced by English citizens, not Westminster insiders
- Under English self‑governance, standards bodies would be accountable to an English Parliament, not to the same Westminster club that protects its own
- Financial links, lobbying activity and conflicts of interest would be public, searchable and enforced – with real penalties, not just “regret”
4. English interests put first – always
- Right now, English taxpayers fund a UK system where policy is shaped by global networks, international lobbies and – as we now know – convicted criminals with deep pockets
- Under English self‑governance, the test for every decision would be simple: does this serve the people of England?
- If the answer is no, it doesn’t happen
The Three Questions Test: Mandelson, Epstein and the Case for Change
Let me apply my usual three‑question test to this scandal, because it shows exactly why the current system can’t be fixed from within:
1. Who makes money from this arrangement?
- Mandelson: received payments (allegedly), maintained access to elite networks, appointed to top diplomatic role
- Epstein and his banking contacts: policy softened on bonus tax, protecting millions in payouts
- English taxpayers and workers: lost out twice – first in the bailouts, then when the clawback was watered down
2. When it’s England versus someone else, who do they choose?
- When it was English families versus bankers and a convicted offender, Mandelson was “on the case” – for the bankers
- When it was transparency versus protecting the establishment, the system chose protection
- England always comes last in this equation
3. Which closed clubs and networks are they really loyal to?
- Mandelson: Labour elite, House of Lords, international finance circles, Epstein’s network
- Not one of those circles is accountable to, or cares about, the people of England
That’s the problem in a nutshell.
And that’s why reform isn’t enough. England needs to govern itself.
What You Can Do: Demand English Self‑Governance Now
This scandal gives English people a perfect moment to ask a simple question:
Why are we still accepting this?
Here’s how you can start pushing back:
- Talk about English self‑governance openly
Make it normal. Make it the obvious answer. When people say “Westminster’s broken”, reply: “Then let’s build an English Parliament.” - Ask every politician where they stand
At every election – local, national, whatever – ask candidates:- Do you support an English Parliament?
- Will you push to abolish or fully elect the House of Lords?
- Do you believe England should govern itself?
- Support campaigns and movements for English democracy
There are groups pushing for this. Find them, join them, amplify them. - Make the case in your own words
Share stories like this. Connect the dots for people. Show them that as long as England is ruled by Westminster and the Lords, nothing will change.
The Epstein files aren’t just about one Lord and one scandal.
They’re a window into how the whole system works: for them, not for us.
England deserves better.
And the only way to get it is to take governance back into English hands.
Conclusion: The Choice Is Clear
Lord Mandelson took payments from a convicted paedophile, lobbied on his behalf to soften policy protecting bankers, got appointed as UK ambassador, got sacked when more came out, and still sits in the House of Lords with a vote on English laws.
If that doesn’t make the case for English self‑governance, nothing will.
Because the message from Westminster is clear: the rules don’t apply to us, and England will keep paying the price.
It’s time to end British rule over England.
It’s time for an English Parliament, elected by English people, accountable to English people.
It’s time to put England first – not Westminster, not the Lords, not global elites and their convicted criminal friends.
The choice is ours. Let’s take it.
FAQs
1. What do the Epstein files show about Lord Mandelson?
Documents released by the US Department of Justice show that Jeffrey Epstein made three payments totalling $75,000 to accounts linked to Lord Mandelson between 2003 and 2004, and that Mandelson lobbied in 2009 to soften a bankers’ bonus tax at Epstein’s request while serving as Business Secretary.
2. Has Lord Mandelson been charged with any crime?
No. Mandelson says he has no record or recollection of receiving the payments and questions the authenticity of documents. Being named in Epstein files does not prove criminality, but it raises serious questions about influence, transparency and standards in public life.
3. Why does this matter for English self‑governance?
It shows how the Westminster system protects elites, allows unelected Lords to shape policy, and prioritises global networks over English people. An English Parliament would be directly accountable to English voters, with no unelected figures holding power for life.
4. What is English self‑governance?
It means England having its own elected parliament to make decisions on English laws, taxes and public services – just as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved governments. It would end the current system where unelected Lords and a London‑centric Westminster establishment rule over England without proper accountability.
5. What can ordinary English people do about this?
Demand that every politician state their position on English self‑governance. Support campaigns for an English Parliament and reform or abolition of the House of Lords. Make the case to friends, family and online that England deserves to govern itself – and that scandals like this prove the current system can’t be reformed from within.
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