Could a Campaign Snapshot Seal the Fate of Hartlepool's Labour MP?
- teessidetoday
- Sep 11
- 4 min read
The man accused of ‘rigging’ Peter Mandelson’s vote to secure the Freeman of Hartlepool title is pictured with the figure who could drag Labour into another scandal—one that threatens to topple one of its newest MPs.
10th Sep 2025
In the cutthroat world of British politics, associations with people who've made the headlines for all the wrong reasons over a number of decades can make or break a career.
For Jonathan Brash, the freshly elected Labour MP for Hartlepool, a seemingly innocuous photograph from last year's General Election campaign might now just prove to be his undoing. Captured by a local Newspaper, the image shows Brash beaming alongside Lord Peter Mandelson, the former Hartlepool MP and Labour heavyweight who publicly endorsed him during a door-knocking session in Labours General Election Campaign last year....
At the time, it was a boost for Brash's bid to reclaim the seat for Labour after a humiliating by-election loss in 2021. But with explosive new revelations tying Mandelson to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, that photo now looks to be a ticking time bomb.
The story begins right back to November 2009, when the then Councillor Jonathan Brash was accused of 'stitching up' councillors in his bid to give Mr Mandelson the freeman of Hartlepool honour, councillors at the time claimed they were 'railroaded' into giving Lord Mandelson the honour or deny it to four other recipients, including Hartlepool-born sports presenter and Countdown host Jeff Stelling and two charity campaigners. Fast forward to June 2024, Mandelson then returned to his old stomping ground of Hartlepool to rally support for Jonathan Brash. A local newspaper reported on the visit, highlighting Mandelson's backing as a key endorsement from a figure synonymous with New Labour's glory days, with Mandelson only too happy to repay an old favour for his pal Mr Brash who'd years before handed him the Honorary Freeman of Hartlepool in Brash's lengthy line of 'Stitch -up's'..
Social media posts from Brash's own campaign team amplified the moment, sharing images of the pair canvassing together, portraying it as a passing of the torch from one Labour stalwart to the next. Brash then went on to win the seat comfortably in the July 2024 general election, riding the wave of Labour's national landslide under Keir Starmer. It seemed like a promising start for the local councillor-turned-MP.
Fast forward again to September 2025, and the landscape has shifted dramatically. Newly unsealed documents from U.S. congressional investigations into Epstein's network have thrust Mandelson back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Among the damning releases is a 2003 birthday note from Mandelson to Epstein, where the Labour peer reportedly referred to the financier as his "best pal" and praised him as an "intelligent, sharp-witted man." Even more troubling are emails revealing how Epstein provided advice and guidance to Mandelson over decades, both during his time in public office and beyond. Mr Mandelson has since expressed deep regret over the association, calling it an "albatross around his neck" and admitting he continued relations with Epstein far longer than he should have, even after the financier's 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution.
These disclosures have ignited a firestorm. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended Mandelson, who now serves as Britain's ambassador to the United States, insisting the peer has his full backing. But public outrage is mounting, with social media ablaze over the revelations. Critics, including former Tory minister Nadine Dorries, have called Mandelson's position "untenable," describing photos of him with Epstein as "vomit-inducing." Online discussions highlight the hypocrisy: how can a government preaching integrity tolerate such ties?
For Jonathan Brash, the fallout could be especially brutal.
Hartlepool's no stranger to political volatility—it's the seat that flipped to the Conservatives in a 2021 by-election, symbolising Labour's disconnect with its traditional heartlands. Voters there prize straight-talking authenticity, and any whiff of elite scandal could erode trust.
Brash's close alignment with Mandelson, immortalised in that campaign photo, now risks painting him as part of the same insulated Westminster bubble. In an era where Epstein's name evokes images of exploitation and cover-ups, guilt by association isn't just a phrase—it's a career killer.
You only have to imagine the attack ads in the next election: Brash grinning next to Mandelson, overlaid with headlines about Epstein's "best pal." Opposition parties, from the Conservatives to Reform UK, would feast on it. Even within Labour, whispers of discomfort grow, especially if more details emerge—as even Mr Mandelson himself has hinted they might. Brash has yet to comment publicly on the revelations, but silence won't make the photo disappear. In politics, optics matter, and this one screams liability.
Of course, Brash will weather the storm. He's a local boy with a track record on community issues & is currently insulated by some very powerful Labour insiders, But in Hartlepool, where Brexit bitterness lingers and economic woes persist, voters have shown they're quick to punish perceived betrayals. If Mandelson's Epstein links continue to dominate headlines, that single snapshot could become the symbol of Brash's downfall—a reminder that in politics, who you stand with can define you more than just what you stand for.
As the Epstein files continue to unravel, one thing is clear: Jonathan Brash's honeymoon as MP might be shorter than he anticipated. Will he distance himself from Mandelson, or double down?
The coming weeks will tell, but for now, that photo looms large over his political future & has the potential to spell out his political demise !
