A survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse told MPs she feels ignored by the prime minister, as a former victims minister accused the government of treating victims as a “footnote” in the row over Lord Mandelson’s failed appointment as US ambassador.
Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones, who resigned as a justice minister in May, read out a statement from Lisa Phillips, a US survivor, in the House of Commons. Phillips said she “struggles to understand” why Sir Keir Starmer appointed Lord Mandelson “when his association with Epstein had long been publicly known”.
“Former victims minister Alex Davies-Jones says Epstein survivors ignored by government, reading a statement from a survivor who says PM ignored meeting requests.”
“I have repeatedly requested the opportunity to meet with the prime minister but those requests have all been ignored,” Phillips’s statement continued. “Must I now wait for the next prime minister to acknowledge me and my survivor sisters?”
The exchange came during a Commons debate on the government’s response to a motion forcing it to publish files related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment. The peer was sacked as US envoy in September 2025 after Downing Street said new information about the depth of his relationship with Epstein had emerged. Sir Keir’s decision followed his review of emails showing 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”. She told the Commons: “For all the headlines that have been generated by this story, the people whose lives were devastated by Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse have too often been reduced to a footnote and that should concern every single one of us.”
She said that while it appeared “significant effort” went into “cultivating relationships with influential figures in the tech world, victims were left feeling unheard and overlooked”. Davies-Jones added that she was “forced to fight tooth and nail” while in government to have victims’ voices heard, which led to her “difficult but necessary decision to resign”.
Responding for the government, 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. He said Davies-Jones’s speech had left him asking questions about his relationship with Lord Mandelson.
Phillips, a former model who has spoken out about her experiences as an Epstein survivor, has called for a public inquiry. Davies-Jones urged the prime minister to meet survivors, warning they risk being forgotten as the political fallout from the Mandelson affair continues.