Lord Peter Mandelson’s international lobbying firm has collapsed into administration after a wave of clients severed ties in the wake of renewed scrutiny over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Global Counsel is a London-based public affairs consultancy with offices in Berlin, Doha, Washington, D.C., and other global hubs.
However, the company has just announced that it has stopped trading.
The majority of its 80 UK-based employees have been made redundant.
Administrators from Interpath have been appointed after what the firm described as a devastating financial hit caused by the rapid loss of major clients.
Will Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath and joint administrator, said:
“While Global Counsel had grown over the past 15 years to become one of the UK’s leading public affairs consultancies, the rapid and sudden loss of clients over recent weeks has had a monumental impact on the business.”
Major Clients Walk Away
Global Counsel, co-founded by Lord Mandelson in 2010 after the Labour Party lost the general election, previously counted companies such as Palantir, GSK, Vodafone, TikTok, and the Premier League among its clients.
Reports indicate Barclays, Tesco, and Klarna recently terminated contracts, while Vodafone placed its relationship under review, following the release of additional Epstein-related files by U.S. authorities.
Earlier this month, the firm formally cut ties with Mandelson after documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed further details about his communications and longstanding association with Epstein.
In a statement announcing the separation, Global Counsel said:
“This transaction brings to an end any connection between Global Counsel and Peter Mandelson.
“This means he no longer has any shareholding, role, or association with Global Counsel, and exercises no influence over the company in any capacity.”
Chairman Archie Norman added that the firm was independently governed and led.
But the move came too late to stem the damage.
Staff Caught in the Fallout
Employees were reportedly informed in a Thursday meeting that the firm was entering administration due to the ongoing controversy surrounding Mandelson.
Steve Absolom, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, said:
“Our immediate focus is on supporting the talented and loyal UK team of Global Counsel employees who, having collectively built a market-leading business, now sadly find themselves having to be made redundant.”
Sources close to the firm described the collapse as devastating for staff who “had nothing to do with it.”
One source said: “It’s the end of Mandelson’s legacy.”
Another added: “It’s a good firm of good people that have been swept away by the millstone of revelations that were nothing to do with the firm.”
Criminal Investigation Underway
The collapse comes amid an active Metropolitan Police investigation into allegations that Lord Mandelson shared market-sensitive government information with Epstein while serving as business secretary during the 2008–2010 financial crisis.
Scotland Yard confirmed earlier this month that searches were conducted at Mandelson’s properties in London and Wiltshire.
Police said the probe would “take some time.”
So far, no charges have been filed.
Mandelson denies any criminal wrongdoing and has said the Epstein Files do not show he broke any laws or acted for personal gain.
He has repeatedly insisted that he regrets his friendship with Epstein.
However, the latest document dumps have revealed that Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was far deeper than he previously claimed.
Newly released emails show Mandelson continued communicating with Epstein even after the financier’s 2008 conviction and imprisonment on child sex offense charges.
Emails published by the DOJ include messages in which Mandelson encouraged Epstein to “fight for early release” and wrote:
“Your friends stay with you and love you.”
Other emails appear to show Mandelson sharing potentially sensitive government information in 2009 while serving in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government, including details related to asset sales and tax policy.
Political Fallout
Lord Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party, stepped down from the House of Lords, and been removed from the Privy Council following the release of the latest Epstein Files.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who appointed Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States in February 2025 before dismissing him in September, has publicly apologized.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Starmer said:
“I apologised for my decision to appoint Peter Mandelson to the role of ambassador, and I apologise to the victims for believing his lies.”
He added:
“Nobody has been harder on me in relation to that than I have been hard on myself.”
A Firm Brought Down by Association
Global Counsel grew into one of Britain’s most prominent lobbying operations over 15 years, employing around 130 staff across multiple international offices.
Yet the “maelstrom of political and media attention surrounding Peter Mandelson,” as the company described it, ultimately proved fatal.
On the same day Global Counsel entered administration, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the disgraced former prince and another high-profile Epstein associate, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office before being released after 12 hours in custody.
For Global Counsel, the damage from the Epstein revelations has already proven irreversible.
A firm that once advised major corporations and governments around the world has now shuttered, brought down not by business failure, but by the shadow of one of the most explosive scandals of the modern era.
READ MORE – United Nations: Epstein Files Expose ‘Crimes Against Humanity’
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.