Victims of Jeffrey Epstein ignored by government, says former minister

The former victims minister has accused the government of failing to listen to the survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones, who resigned in May , said victims have been treated as a "footnote" in the row over Lord Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Davies-Jones also read out a statement from Lisa Phillips, a US survivor of Epstein, who accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of ignoring her requests for a meeting.

Cabinet Office Minister Darren Jones offered to meet the victims and apologised for "subconsciously" treating Lord Mandelson differently because of his power and influence within Labour.

The exchanges came during a Commons debate about the government's response to a motion forcing it to publish files related to Lord Mandelson's appointment.

The peer was sacked in September 2025 after Downing Street said new information about the depth of his relationship with Epstein had emerged.

Sir Keir's decision came after he reviewed emails that showed Lord Mandelson sent supportive messages to Epstein as he faced charges for sex offences in 2008.

Davies-Jones said what struck her most "about this whole affair is not what has been said but what has been missing".