Britain must wake up Follow rigorous reporting on the threats to our democracy Enjoy four months’ free access to The Telegraph. Cancel at any time. | | Peter Mandelson, left, tries on a belt during a shopping trip with Jeffrey Epstein |  | Robert Mendick Chief Reporter | Mrs Merton famously asked Debbie Mcgee: “So what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?” She delivered it with a straight face, to devastating comic effect.
One might well put the same question to Lord Mandelson, who we now know, declared himself a “best pal” of Jeffrey Epstein in a 50th birthday letter written in 2003 and which only now has been made public.
“So Peter Mandelson, what first attracted you to the multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein?”
As The Telegraph reports today, it may well be money – or influence and connections, perhaps a mix of all three. The two men talked business, a lot of business over a number of years – both before and after Epstein was jailed in 2008 for solicitation of a minor for prostitution.
In the dying days of Gordon Brown’s Labour administration, Epstein appears to have been involved in brokering a deal in which JP Morgan, with whom he had lodged his vast fortune, was successful in acquiring an energy trading company being sold off by Royal Bank of Scotland, which at the time was UK taxpayer owned.
Lord Mandelson was business secretary and Epstein, his long-term friend. Emails between the pair were probably regular but only a fraction have come to light, as a result of court cases and leaks that cast a light on their intriguing – and now damaging – friendship.
| Epstein introduced Lord Mandelson to Jes Staley, JP Morgan’s head of corporate and investment banking at the time. Epstein frequently offered advice to Mr Staley | The Telegraph has today pieced them together and they (along with other bits of documentation and photographic evidence) show two men putting their influence and networking skills to great use.
Epstein, of course, died in a jail cell in 2019; and Lord Mandelson has risen to become Britain’s ambassador to the US.
The Tories are demanding an investigation into their relationship, while Labour MPs are expressing disquiet on the side. Epstein’s victims simply want him sacked.
Our man in Washington remains in post, in part thanks to Sir Keir Starmer’s faith in him. But can we expect another prime ministerial wobble and will Lord Mandelson, erstwhile Prince of Darkness, descend back into the shadows?
Read the full story here ➤
See the emails that reveal how Mandelson brought ‘best pal’ Epstein into the heart of Labour ➤
Browse Epstein’s extraordinary birthday book in full ➤ | | The damaged ‘residential headquarters’ of Hamas in Qatar |  | David Blair Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator | The glittering skyline of Doha was designed to project an image of wealth, safety and power. That seemed illusory on Tuesday when Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital and, for the second time this year, explosions echoed over the city.
Qatar’s ruling al-Thani family have always believed that their immense reserves of natural gas exempted their country from the usual rules of statecraft. They thought that Qatar could exert disproportionate influence by reaching in all directions at once and hosting the bitterest of enemies. So Qatar became a haven for the Taliban and US Central Command. The American base at Al-Udeid, outside Doha, is the hub for US and allied air operations across the Middle East.
When Bashar al-Assad’s regime expelled Hamas from Syria, the leadership of the Palestinian terrorist movement moved to Doha, in 2012. The Qataris believed that they could be everyone’s friend – even while hosting everyone’s worst enemies – because the presence of US forces placed Qatar firmly under America’s security umbrella.
Yet Qatar has now suffered the dubious distinction of being attacked by both Iran and Israel. The country was struck by Iranian missiles in June because it hosts the US military and by Israel on Tuesday because it hosts Hamas. The reality is that a small state which persists in taking in the enemies of far more powerful regional neighbours is bound to be attacked by one or more of them. Qatar has now suffered the blows of two powerful states within three months.
Benjamin Netanyahu has proved that while the rules may apply to Qatar, they definitely do not constrain Israel. Ever since the Hamas atrocities of Oct 7 2023, Netanyahu has demonstrated time and again that everything is different now – and Israel feels free to attack its enemies wherever they may be.
Read David’s analysis in full ➤ Trump condemns Israel’s bombing of Qatar ➤ | | Allison Pearson It is disingenuous in the extreme for the commissioner to say officers’ hands are tied in cases like that of Graham Linehan Continue reading ➤ Sam Ashworth-Hayes The brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska exposes the cost of the Left’s ‘compassion’ Continue reading ➤ Alan Cochrane Will Douglas Alexander fight to stop Ed Miliband’s attack on North Sea oil and gas? Continue reading ➤ | Free thinking. Straight talking. Explore more opinion from the nation’s leading comment writers Enjoy four months’ free access to The Telegraph. Cancel at any time. | | Ed Miliband has promised a £300 cut to annual household energy bills by 2030. To do this, Britain must build more wind and solar farms. But these are already generating more energy than the grid can handle and, as Matt Oliver explains, the cost of this unused wind power makes household bills higher, not lower. Continue reading ➤ | | | Eithne sees Alan Fryer, a patient who was treated by her father at the family practice as a teenager | | The Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre, in Merseyside, topped the latest NHS GP survey for overall patient satisfaction. So, what’s its secret? Emily Retter went behind the scenes at the much-loved family-run practice and discovered how sisters and doctors Rosemary and Eithne MacRae have solved the 8am appointment rush and how they blend technology with a human touch to offer superlative care. Continue reading ➤ | |  | | It isn’t often you get the opportunity to quiz a Hollywood actress about the rules of modern dating over a pint in her local pub, but Lily James is pleasingly grounded, for a woman best known for playing flighty aristocrats, Disney princesses and a young Meryl Streep. She’ll next be seen as Whitney Wolfe Herd, the billionaire behind Tinder and Bumble, so over drinks last week, a relaxed and reflective James told Guy Kelly about her icks, her tips, and why you’ll never find her on dating apps. Continue reading ➤ | | | How can your children be better at sport? Even parents whose children are not sporty want them to enjoy the wider benefits that games bring. Sports science provides answers on how all children, whatever their level, can improve – including the power of informal play; the dangers of specialising too early; and why parents should give their kids the space to experiment and fail. Continue reading ➤ | | | Fawlty Towers turns 50 this month, and, says John Cleese, there hasn’t been another BBC show like it. That’s because today’s “stupid” BBC commissioners are “obsessed with bureaucracy” and “social engineering” rather than original and brilliant ideas – including Cleese’s own. Also in this interview, the 85-year-old talks to Claire Allfree about “woke” comedy, Keir Starmer, and why multiculturalism has failed. Continue reading ➤ | | | Easter presents a unique set of issues when it comes to booking family holidays – especially when it falls as early as it will in 2026. However, get it right and it’s the perfect time to travel, far cheaper than May half-term or the summer holidays for sunny jaunts, with savings on skiing and long-haul trips. With the kids back at school, our expert reveals how to stay one step ahead.
Continue reading ➤
Here are two more helpful articles for you this morning: - If you’re looking to revamp your wardrobe for autumn, here are 11 easy ways to upgrade your current clothes.
- Did you know you can make a great cheese toastie in your microwave? Read Silvana Franco’s guide on five things you didn’t know you could cook in this everyday kitchen appliance.
| | Since relocating to Australia, Daria and Tony Kenefeck have been able to see much more of their grandchildren | Upping sticks to move to the other side of the world is not a decision to take lightly, but it turns out it could make for a surprisingly affordable retirement.
That has been the experience of Tony and Daria Kenefeck, who swapped Fareham in Hampshire for Melbourne, Australia, last year. The main reason for their move was to spend more time with their children and grandchildren, whom they rarely saw otherwise – but the couple have found Melbourne offers a great way of life, that’s far cheaper than they’d expected.
“You definitely get more bang for your buck here,” says Tony – who found that, while property can be more expensive than in the UK, everyday costs such as TV subscriptions are half the price, while fuel and energy bills are noticeably cheaper.
However, anyone considering doing the same will need to factor in the (often mandatory) cost of health insurance, and accept a “frozen” state pension that will not benefit from any annual triple-lock increases. That being said, for the Kenefecks – who make the most of their excellent local health facilities and more active lifestyle – relocating has come with “no downsides”. Continue reading ➤ | Do you know your Athelstan from your Athelbald? Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal Reader Correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
Poor old Athelstan. The first king of England, and for what? These days it’s his grandfather Alfred the Great, burner of cakes, who gets most of the attention. Not that there’s much attention to be had: the early middle ages have been out of fashion in the classroom for some time. When I was at school, I was taught more about Billy the Kid than I was about our nation’s genesis.
But in 2027 it will be 1,100 years since the foundation of England under Athelstan’s watch, and in the run-up a group of historians are attempting to raise his profile. James Watson, headmaster of Milton Abbey School in Dorset, welcomed their efforts, and pointed out that he had been doing his bit too: “I spent a very pleasant morning last week teaching our new students about Athelstan, who founded Milton Abbey as a centre of worship and learning in 934 AD. Despite the slings and arrows fired at independent schools by government policy, one of the distinct advantages of independent education is that we are allowed to depart from the well-meaning but often turgid national curriculum. As a history teacher I cherish the freedom to rove around my subject, picking out eras that resonate for today’s students.”
In Seaford, East Sussex, Athelstan is also remembered. Michael Staples explained: “My job is to raise the St George’s Cross on our seafront Martello tower each July 12 to celebrate his treaty with other British rulers – and England’s birthday.”
Graham Ashen, meanwhile, hoped for a wider resurgence of “interest in the Dark Ages, which helped to forge our identity and rich language. It was a time of myth and legend, of Bede and Beowulf and strong kings, including Offa and Alfred the Great”.
A copy of Beowulf for every pupil. Why not? Do you know your Athelstan from your Athelbald? Let me know here, or head to our Your Say page on The Telegraph app. | Plan your day with the telegraph | Set your alarm to catch up with journalists on the Your Say page and listen to their analysis on our latest podcasts.
| | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
The solution to yesterday’s clue was REVIVABLE. Come back tomorrow for the answer to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. | |
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