Former U.K. Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson said continuing his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was “a most terrible mistake,” but he declined to offer a direct apology to Epstein’s victims in his first interview since being fired from his post. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mandelson said he regretted believing Epstein’s account after the financier’s 2008 conviction and described his continued association with Epstein as “misplaced loyalty.” However, he said he would not personally apologize to victims, arguing that responsibility lay with a wider system that failed to protect them. “I want to apologise for a system that refused to hear their voices and did not give them the protection they were entitled to expect,” Mandelson said. “That system gave him protection and not them.” In the interview, Mandelson also said he never witnessed inappropriate behavior while spending time with Epstein and claimed he was “kept separate” from Epstein’s sexual activities because he is gay. U.K. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said Mandelson’s refusal to apologize directly to victims was a missed opportunity. “It would have gone a long way for Peter to have apologized to the victims,” she said, adding that she would not have maintained contact with someone in Epstein’s position. Mandelson was dismissed as ambassador in September 2025 after emails emerged showing he sent supportive messages to Epstein following his conviction for soliciting a minor. Mandelson said during the BBC interview that the emails were a “shock” and that he no longer possessed them at the time of his appointment. Asked whether he deserved to be fired, Mandelson said he understood the decision and had no intention of reopening the issue.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rejected the growing outcry over sexual harassment complaints and corruption cases involving members of his Socialist Party, defiantly declaring that its commitment to feminism and clean government is “absolute.” During his annual end-of-year speech on Monday, Sánchez boasted that his party had been the first in Spain to adopt anti-harassment protocols, and that his government had greenlit legislation to ensure gender balance in key sectors, fight gender-based violence and promote gender equality abroad. “Like everyone else, we have made mistakes,” he said. “But we cannot forget that everything this country has achieved in its quest to ensure equality between men and women has been thanks to the work of its progressive governments.” The prime minister added that he would not accept any “lessons” from the country’s right-wing opposition, which he said behaved like the legendary Spanish inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada while failing to adopt legally required mechanisms to tackle sexual misconduct within its own ranks. Sánchez also rejected criticism regarding the corruption investigations that have resulted in the arrest of several former allies — among them former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, who maintains his innocence — and recent police raids on several ministry buildings. During the address, Sánchez was at pains to contrast the scandals with those of his predecessor, conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was ousted in 2018 after losing a no-confidence vote over the corruption scandals affecting his center-right People’s Party. “Systemic corruption — the sort that was affecting our country’s entire democratic system — ended when the People’s Party left the Spanish government in 2018,” Sánchez said, insisting that there is no evidence of widespread rot within the Socialist Party. NOT GOING ANYWHERE Sánchez’s minority government relies on the support of parliamentary allies who are increasingly uncomfortable with the barrage of sexual harassment and corruption scandals affecting the Socialist Party. The Basque Nationalist Party’s president, Aitor Esteban, this weekend said Sánchez needed to either halt the “daily hemorrhage of news stories” or call snap elections. The Republican Left of Catalonia’s Gabriel Rufián on Monday urged the Socialist Party to “stop playing the victim and drop the ‘whataboutism’ tactics,” adding that his continued support depended on the prime minister’s ability to “reform his party and his government.” Sánchez used his address to the nation to clarify that he does not plan to hold snap elections and is thinking solely of the legislative wins his government can notch by the end of its term in 2027. He added that it is his duty to continue fighting for progressive measures, and urged his allies to respect the will of the voters who made it possible for him to secure another term as prime minister when elections were last held. The Socialist leader also rejected Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz’s call for a “profound Cabinet reshuffle” to make a clean break with the rot, insisting all members of his government are instrumental to its current success. That intransigent stance angered members of Díaz’s Sumar party, the left-wing junior partner in Spain’s coalition government, with Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun urging the prime minister to reconsider his stance in order to “restart” the stalled legislative term. Throughout his address, Sánchez stressed that the fall of his government would result in a “historic shift” in Spain that would see the far-right Vox party come to power. “We are facing the most sterile, destructive, and I would say the most extreme opposition in recent times.” Sánchez’s parliamentary allies recognize that the next elections are likely to result in a right-wing government that will depend on Vox’s backing, if not its active participation. But that increasingly does not seem to be enough to ensure their continued support for the prime minister. “Is it worth it to endure this situation in order to stop the right and the far-right from taking office?” the Republican Left of Catalonia’s Rufián asked rhetorically. “Yes.” “But we also have to ask ourselves if this situation is going to make the far-right grow,” he added. “And if it will permit the far-right to not only come to power, but remain there for years.”

Winter vacation can’t start soon enough for Pedro Sánchez. Spain’s governing Socialist Party is being battered by a deluge of sexual harassment scandals that is prompting the resignation or dismissal of mayors, regional leaders and even officials employed in the prime minister’s palace. Within the party, there’s open recognition that its self-proclaimed status as the country’s premier progressive political entity is being severely undermined. The scandals are also provoking major fractures within Sánchez’s coalition government and parliamentary alliance, with even his most reliable collaborators demanding he make major changes — or call snap elections. Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, whose far-left Sumar party is the junior partner in Sánchez’s coalition government, said on Friday that a “profound Cabinet reshuffle” was needed to make a clean break with the rot. Aitor Esteban, president of the Basque Nationalist Party — one of the government’s most reliable parliamentary partners — said if the Socialists fail to halt the “daily hemorrhage of news stories,” snap elections must be held. Spain’s Socialists are no strangers to scandal, having spent the past two years dealing with endless headline-grabbing revelations detailing the alleged embezzlement of public funds by former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and party boss Santos Cerdán — both of whom maintain their innocence. Sánchez has so far weathered the storms by insisting the corruption cases are limited to just a few bad apples, and arguing that only his government can keep the country on a socially liberal track. But the scale of the sexual harassment scandals revealed in recent days — which have coincided with anti-corruption raids in government buildings — represent an unprecedented challenge for the prime minister. There are serious doubts that Sánchez’s “stay-the-course” playbook will suffice to see his government through this latest political earthquake. GROWING SKEPTICISM When Sánchez came to power in 2018 he boasted that he led “the most feminist government in history,” with 11 of the country’s 17 ministries led by women. Over the past seven years his successive administrations have passed legislation to ensure gender balance in key sectors, fight gender-based violence and promote gender equality abroad. But the actions of some of Sa´nchez’s fellow Socialists are fueling growing skepticism about whether the governing party truly respects women. Last summer the prime minister apologized to supporters and expressed his “shame” after the release of wiretaps on which the Spanish police alleged former Transport Minister Ábalos could be heard describing his trysts with female sex workers. Ábalos, for his part, claims the recordings have been manipulated and the voice they capture is not his. Weeks later, sexual harassment complaints against another of the prime minister’s long-time collaborators, Francisco Salazar, forced his resignation on the very day he was meant to assume a new role as one of the party’s top leaders. That scandal resurfaced this month after Spanish media revealed the party had slow-walked its investigation into the alleged abuses committed by Salazar, who maintains his innocence. Last week Sánchez said he took “personal responsibility” for the botched investigation and apologized for not reaching out to Salazar’s victims. He also ordered the dismissal of Antonio Hernández, an official employed in the prime minister’s palace whom Salazar’s victims had singled out as the harasser’s alleged “accomplice.” Hernández denies the accusation. Sánchez’s attempts to contain the situation don’t appear to have quelled indignation over the party’s failure to address Salazar’s alleged abuses, and the frustration has resulted in a version of the #MeToo movement within the Socialists’ ranks. Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, whose far-left Sumar party is the junior partner in Sánchez’s coalition government, said on Friday that a “profound Cabinet reshuffle” was needed to make a clean break with the rot. | Perez Meca/Getty Images Over recent days, the party’s boss in Torremolinos has been suspended from his post after being denounced for sexual harassment by an alderman, who also accused the Socialists of failing to act when she first reported the alleged abuses last summer. Belalcázar’s mayor has also stepped down following the publication of sexually explicit messages to a municipal employee, and the launch of an investigation for alleged harassment has prompted the Socialists’ deputy secretary in the province of Valencia to leave the party. The three officials deny the accusations against them. So, too, does José Tomé, who insists the multiple sexual harassment complaints that resulted in his resignation as president of the Provincial Council of Lugo this week are completely unfounded. The admission of regional leader José Ramón Gómez Besteiro that he had been aware of the allegations against Tomé for months prompted the party’s regional equality czar to step down in disgust, and are generating doubts regarding the Socialists’ political future in the Galicia. TROUBLED TIMES The barrage of sexual harassment complaints are a major problem for Sánchez. Women are a key segment of his party’s voter base: Female voters tend to participate in elections to a greater extent than men, and have historically mobilized in favor of the Socialists. But surveys by the country’s national polling institute reveal that women are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the party. In a poll carried out shortly after the Ábalos recordings were released, support for the Socialists among female voters dropped from 26.2 percent to 19.4 percent. Pilar Bernabé, the party’s equality secretary, admitted on Friday that the wave of harassment complaints marked a “before and after” moment for the Socialists, who now had to prove that they have zero tolerance for abuse. “Sexism is incompatible with Socialism,” she added. The challenges to the party’s bona fides are less than welcome at a moment when it faces multiple corruption investigations. In addition to the ongoing probes into Ábalos and Cerdán — both of whom were ordered jailed without bond last month — this week former Socialist Party member Leire Díez along with Vicente Fernández, the former head of the state-owned agency charged with managing Spain’s business holdings, were arrested for alleged embezzlement and influence peddling. At their respective bail hearings, Díez invoked her right to remain silent, while Fernández denied any wrongdoing. Days later, the elite anti-corruption unit of Spain’s Civil Guard raided several agencies managed by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, as well as the headquarters of the Spanish Postal Service, as part of a related investigation into the alleged rigging of public contracts. CAN SÁNCHEZ CARRY ON? During a campaign event headlined by Sa´nchez on Sunday, party members urged the prime minister to act. “Take a firm hand to the harassers, the womanizers, the chauvinists!” said Irene Pozas, head of the Socialist Youth in the province of Cáceres. “Don’t hold back, Pedro: The women of the Socialist Party must not have any cause for regret!” Pedro Sánchez may be hoping for relief from the scandals during the upcoming holiday break in Spain, but it’s unclear if his party, and the weak coalition government it leads, will be able to recover. | Marcos del Mazo/Getty Images While admitting shortcomings in the party’s internal mechanisms for handling complaints, Sánchez defended the Socialists’ determination to “act decisively and transparently” to tackle sexism and corruption. The prime minister also defiantly asserted his will to carry on, telling supporters that “governing means facing the music and staying strong through thick and thin.” Sánchez may be hoping for relief from the scandals during the upcoming holiday break in Spain, but it’s unclear if his party, and the weak coalition government it leads, will be able to recover. Although the prime minister insists he intends to govern until the current legislative term ends in 2027, his inability to pass a fresh budget and wider difficulties in passing legislation jeopardize that goal. The Socialists’ parliamentary allies are reluctant to see Sánchez fall because they know snap elections will almost certainly produce a right-wing government influenced by the far-right Vox party. But they are also wary of being associated misogyny and fraud — especially if voters may soon be heading to the polls. “Stopping the far right and the extreme right is always a non-negotiable duty, but it is not achieved merely by saying it, but by demonstrating that we are better,” tweeted the president of the Republican Left of Catalonia, Oriol Junqueras. “Those who abuse and become corrupt cannot regenerate democracy.”

Prince Andrew has surrendered his titles, including the Duke of York, amid growing pressure over a series of scandals, including his alleged ties with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Andrew said in a statement Friday evening. Andrew has been under intense scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein — the American financier and convicted sex offender who ran a network that exploited and trafficked underage girls. He faced backlash over a civil sexual-assault court case brought in the U.S. by Virginia Giuffre, which was eventually settled, and over his involvement with an alleged Chinese spy. “I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life,” Andrew added in his statement, “vigorously” denying the accusations against him. The announcement comes just days before the release of Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, which reportedly details three occasions on which Andrew allegedly had sex with her — excerpts of which were published by the Guardian earlier in the week. Andrew’s children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are set to retain their titles.

An ally of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has resigned after allegations of sexual harassment — in a fresh blow for Spain’s Socialist Party just weeks after a string of corruption scandals erupted. Francisco Salazar, a close ally of Sánchez, stepped down from his position as a deputy in the party’s secretariat and asked for the claims to be investigated, the Socialist Party said in a statement. The allegations were made in the left-wing Spanish news site elDiario.es. The outlet alleged that Salazar made inappropriate comments about a female subordinate’s clothing and body, invited her to dinner alone and asked her to sleep at his home.   The Socialist Party said it will begin an investigation immediately, but said no official complaints had been made. The latest incident is a fresh blow for Sánchez, who was due to speak at the party’s headquarters in Madrid as the news broke. Reuters reported that Sánchez spoke an hour later than scheduled, and called for any woman suffering sexual abuse to report it via the party’s official channels. He did not mention Salazar directly. Sánchez publicly apologized last month for the party’s recent corruption scandals including senior party figures. The Spanish prime minister, who leads a minority coalition government, has repeatedly come under fire for the scandals. The main opposition party, the center-right Peoples’ Party, has accused Sánchez of being a “capo” leading a “mafia” administration, while protests in Madrid organized by the PP last month drew tens of thousands. Even from within his own party, politicians from Spain’s cities and regions have called for Sánchez to hold snap national elections — even while knowing their party would be virtually guaranteed to lose. The speech at the Socialist Party’s headquarters was intended to draw a line under the recent scandals and announce a shake-up of the party to bolster its reputation.

The head of the U.K. Royal Navy Admiral Ben Key has been removed from his duties while under investigation over allegations of misconduct, according to media reports. `The Ministry of Defence didn’t give any further details on the matter he is being investigated for, according to the reports. But the ministry’s statement follows a report in the Sun that Key was suspected of having an affair with a female subordinate. Earlier this week, the ministry issued a statement saying Key had “stepped back due to private reasons,” according to a report in the Financial Times. The FT cited people familiar with the matter saying Key’s move was not related to the government’s strategic defense review, expected to be published soon. Key was due to retire from his position this summer, after serving as the head of the Royal Navy since 2021. This means the search for his successor was already under way. Key last year made an unreserved apology for “intolerable” misogyny in the Submarine Service, after a series of investigations across the navy exposed sexual harassment, bullying and assault of women within its ranks, according to the Guardian.

U.K. financial watchdogs today dropped plans to set new rules for diversity and inclusion in the City of London amid a fierce backlash against “DEI” policies under U.S. President Donald Trump.  The Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority said in letters to MPs they will not bring forward proposals to require banks, insurers and other financial firms report more data and set diversity targets. The regulators acknowledged the requirements could be duplicative with other legislation tackling gender and ethnicity pay gaps, at a time when the U.K. government is pushing to reduce regulatory costs for companies. “We do not currently plan to publish new rules on diversity and inclusion, and do not intend to return to this question until after the substantive implementation of any new legislation in this area,” Sam Woods, chief executive of the PRA, wrote in his letter to Meg Hillier, chair of the Treasury Committee.  U.K. regulators have previously said better representation of women and ethnic minorities in the City can help prevent groupthink and support more effective risk management. But MPs on the Treasury Committee called for the plans to be scrapped, blasting the data requirements as a box-ticking exercise. The decision comes as Trump dismantles “diversity, equity and inclusion” policies in the United States, amid a war on “woke,” describing the programs as a “tyranny.”  In the U.K., Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK have also attacked DEI from the right of politics. The FCA said it will also take more time to work on its plans to tackle “non-financial misconduct” such as sexual harassment or bullying in the workplace, but will set out next steps by the end of June.

LONDON — A former Labour MP facing multiple sexual harassment allegations has quit the party rather than face a hearing over his conduct. Geraint Davies, who was a Labour MP for 22 years, stood down at last year’s general election after POLITICO reported he faced claims of sexual misconduct by five junior female colleagues.  Davies was due to face a disciplinary hearing over these allegations in November last year, but instead opted to resign his party membership, meaning no further action can be taken against him, internal records obtained by POLITICO and LBC show. Yet as a former member of parliament, Davies is entitled to a parliamentary pass and access to the estate for life.  In 2023, five women alleged that Davies, a former Commons select committee chair, subjected them to unwanted sexual attention, both physical and verbal, after coming into contact with them through his work as an MP. In these instances, the women had raised concerns about his behavior informally but had not complained in writing.  At least two women later filed official complaints with the Labour Party, resulting in an investigation lasting more than a year. Davies immediately had the whip suspended as a Labour MP, but retained his membership. When the allegations against Davies were first reported by POLITICO, he said he did not “recognize” them, adding: “If I have inadvertently caused offence to anyone, then I am naturally sorry.” Davies did not respond to a request for comment on his resignation of party membership. Labour’s complaints unit told alleged victims in an email that they understood the news would be “upsetting and unexpected,” and provided details for the party’s safeguarding team and mental health charity the Samaritans.  ‘RIDDLED WITH LOOPHOLES’ Three women who say they were targeted by Davies told POLITICO and LBC the outcome was unacceptable. One said: “There is no planet on which he should be allowed an ex-MP pass, as it is a privilege not a right. He’s done enough damage in his time in Westminster.” Another said she felt “heartbroken” for the women who had gone through the whole process of reporting alleged sexual harassment only for him to “take the easy way out at the very end.” She said that the patchwork of different complaints systems meant that “parliament remains an unsafe place for women.” A third woman said: “The system to protect staff is still riddled with loopholes like this one. Parliament and political parties are yet to find a solution that keeps victims safe in their workplace.” The case is likely to renew calls for a tougher response to misconduct by MPs.  Commons Leader Lucy Powell has argued in favor of handing allegations made to political parties over to Westminster’s independent complaints and grievance system (ICGS), which can proceed regardless of whether an MP leaves parliament or their party. The ICGS can recommend the withdrawal of a former MP’s pass, as it did in the case of former Commons Speaker John Bercow. A Labour Party spokesperson said: “We take all complaints of unacceptable behaviour extremely seriously and investigate in line with our procedures.” They added there was “a wide range of support available” including an independent support service and the ICGS which “are flagged to complainants where appropriate.”

Former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of a crime of sexual assault after forcibly kissing footballer Jenni Hermoso. Rubiales, who kissed Hermoso without consent after her team won the Women’s World Cup in August 2023, was fined €10,800 by Spain’s National Court, banned from approaching Hermoso within 200 meters and from communicating with her for one year.   “This action of giving a woman a kiss on the mouth has a clear sexual connotation, and it is not the normal way of greeting people with whom one does not have an emotional relationship,” Judge José Manuel Clemente Fernández-Prieto said in his ruling on Thursday, El País reported. However, Rubiales was acquitted of coercion, and the verdict gave him a much lighter sentence than what prosecutors had sought. They had asked for 30 months in prison and a much higher fine of €50,000.  Rubiales’ kiss-on-the-lips scandal sparked widespread criticism of sexism in football and led to his resignation as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.  Prosecutors said the events created a situation of anxiety and intense stress for Hermoso that continued for several months afterward. Rubiales has publicly maintained his innocence, insisting that the kiss was consensual. 

The Helsinki District Court on Friday placed a man in his 30s under a one-year extended restraining order for stalking former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. According to the court’s decision, the man allegedly loitered in Marin’s stairwell and attempted to enter her apartment, Finnish media reported. The defendant denied he was the person accused of being in the proximity of Marin’s home. The restraining order remains in effect until January 2026. Under its terms, the man is prohibited from contacting Marin or moving in specific areas. In Finland, restraining orders are typically issued to protect individuals from harassment, threats or unwanted contact. They can be requested to prevent the subject of the order from approaching or communicating with the petitioner. According to Finnish tabloid Iltalehti, police suspect that the man stalked Marin from the beginning of December last year until the Christmas holidays. The man had been previously charged with stalking in another case, Iltalehti reported. Marin served as Finland’s leader from 2019 to 2023, becoming the world’s youngest female prime minister. After losing an election in April 2023, she stepped down as chair of her Social Democratic Party and later joined the Tony Blair Institute as a strategic counselor.