How deep do Epstein’s ties to Britain’s elite go?
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 747 Ratings
🗓️ 12 February 2026
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ex-Prince Andrew was the tip of the iceberg. The latest trove of Epstein files reveals new details about former UK envoy Peter Mandelson's ‘best pal’ relationship with the convicted sex offender that have pushed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour into a new crisis. Is this the scandal that defines Labour?
In this episode:
Kieran Andrieu (@kieran_andrieu) Political Economist and Novara Media contributor
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, with Sarí el-Khalili, Chloe Li, Spencer Cline, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, Sonia Bhagat and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, will Jeffrey Epstein be the domino that topples Britain's Labour Party? |
| 0:16.0 | The Prime Minister has come under heavy criticism for his decision in 2024 |
| 0:20.8 | to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the US, |
| 0:24.7 | despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. |
| 0:27.1 | What the latest drop of files means for the UK's powerful and powerless. |
| 0:34.4 | I'm Malika Bilal and this is The Take. |
| 0:49.3 | Today's conversation is based on the trove of documents known as the Epstein files, |
| 0:56.4 | of which millions are now public. So there are a ton of stories to be told. And we want to hear from you what questions you're still looking for answers to. As you're watching, leave us a comment. And if |
| 1:02.6 | you're listening on a podcast app, tell us what's been resonating. And then rate and review us, |
| 1:08.3 | which helps other people find the show that you already know and love. |
| 1:15.9 | My name is Kiran Andrew, and I am a political commentator and doctor of political economy. |
| 1:22.1 | Well, Dr. Kieran, welcome to The Take. It is really good to have your expertise here. |
| 1:26.9 | I know that you have been following the latest release of the Epstein files from the U.S. Department of Justice, or at least what you can sort through from the three million pages that have been released so far, because who hasn't been, right? So you know that they have ensnared a lot of people in some very high places. |
| 1:48.0 | We're talking European royals. We're talking tech CEOs, international businessmen, some women, |
| 1:55.4 | and world leaders. So you're based in the UK where the ripple effects of this drop have hit the governing |
| 2:04.1 | Labour Party and someone not even named in the file. So how did Prime Minister Kirstama |
| 2:10.4 | get caught up in this? Probably Mr. Kirstama has been ensnared in this because about two years ago, he entrusted to his kind of Prince |
| 2:23.5 | Machiavelli, his top strategist, a man called Morgan McSweeney, the decision of employment of somebody |
| 2:32.1 | called Peter Mandelson. |
| 2:44.6 | Peter Mandelson was one of the top strategists, if you like, of the Tony Blair era of New Labour. |
| 2:51.4 | And indeed, in 1997, the Labour Party, having been in the electoral wilderness for a long period of time, |
... |
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