What a shabby, mortifying, tawdry spectacle. It’s impossible to read Peter Mandelson’s message to Jeffrey Epstein , published yesterday by the US House Oversight Committee as part of the now infamous birthday scrapbook, without feeling clammy fingers down your spine and shuddering.

This embarrassment could have been prevented. Every single aspect of this was avoidable. The Labour Government knew about Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein before it offered him the role of ambassador to the US . It should never have given him the position. Now he has it, and it has dragged the name of Britain into the mud.

Mandelson’s entire 10-page note to Epstein is full of innuendo. He describes Epstein as “mysterious”, he refers to his “interesting” friends, he talks of his “glorious homes he likes

See Full Page