Thu, 19 Feb 2026

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 Lobbying firm co-founded by Mandelson on brink of collapse

Global Counsel says administrators will take control on Friday, blaming the "maelstrom" surrounding Mandelson.
Global Counsel, a lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, has confirmed it will enter administration on Friday. According to reports, key clients severed their relationships with the company after details emerged of apparent links between the firm and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This led to Lord Mandelson's resignation from the board in 2024, although he remained a shareholder until earlier this month. His co-founder Benjamin Wegg-Prosser stepped down as CEO on February 6th. Staff have been told that redundancies are inevitable, with administrators set to take control of the company and make "a significant number of" job cuts. Global Counsel was established by Mandelson and Wegg-Prosser in 2010, after Labour lost the general election. The firm has offices worldwide and employed over 100 people but its future was put in jeopardy after Epstein files revealed links between Mandelson and the disgraced financier. A statement from Global Counsel acknowledged that "many clients" had remained loyal to the company recently, but added that the ongoing media attention surrounding Lord Mandelson made it difficult for the business to continue as usual. The administrators have indicated that any continued client servicing would be on a limited basis only. The Epstein files also contained references to a 2010 meeting between Wegg-Prosser and Epstein. Lord Mandelson has been at the center of controversy due to his links with Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He was appointed ambassador to the US but was fired after details of their relationship became public. The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson's position is that he acted within the law and did not benefit financially from his association with Epstein. However, two properties linked to him were recently searched by police following allegations of misconduct in public office.
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