Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, is a British Labour Party politician and political strategist who served as Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004 and held senior roles including Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in 1998, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1999 to 2001, European Commissioner for Trade from 2004 to 2008, and First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2008 to 2010.[1][2] Born in 1953 and educated at Oxford University, Mandelson rose as Labour's director of communications under Neil Kinnock before becoming a key architect of the party's New Labour rebranding under Tony Blair, emphasizing pragmatic policies to appeal beyond traditional left-wing bases.[3] His career has been marked by repeated involvement in financial and ethical controversies, including two resignations from cabinet—first over an undeclared loan from fellow minister Geoffrey Robinson in 1998, and second over facilitating a passport application for billionaire Srichand Hinduja in 2001—and culminating in his dismissal as UK Ambassador to the United States in September 2025 following disclosures of his longstanding social ties to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, including photographed interactions and correspondence post-Epstein's imprisonment.[4][5][6] Post-politics, he co-founded the lobbying firm Global Counsel and has advised on international trade and policy, often drawing criticism for blurring lines between public service and private influence.[7]