Ghislaine Maxwell tried to arrange Mandelson and Clinton meeting in Blackpool

World news spills over into Blackpool as the town is named within the latest Epstein files

Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.

Today we report on Blackpool’s presence in the Epstein files, which were released by the US Department of Justice.

It would be an understatement to say the contents of those files have rocked British, US and world politics - and Peter Mandelson specifically when it comes to coverage in this country. Our sister national title - The Lead - has considered the political implications - and particularly how we should not lose sight of the victims in this.

But that those revelations link Mandelson, Maxwell, Epstein and Clinton through Blackpool came as a surprise.

Blackpool briefing

🚃 Visitor attraction Blackpool Tramtown has been forced to close until further notice due to an issue with an electric cable. Concerns have been raised that there is no confirmed timescale for repairs and no certainty that the issue will be resolved. Paul Galley, Project Manager at Blackpool Tramtown, said the closure is deeply affecting those who have dedicated years to preserving Blackpool’s tram heritage. Cllr Galley, who is also the leader of Blackpool Council’s Conservative opposition, said: “The volunteers and supporters of Tramtown are hurting right now. We have no idea how long this work will take to fix, and we are not even sure if it will be fixed at all. What we need from the Council is no more empty promises, but real, physical support.”

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Blackpool Council needs to find £16m in savings during the next year as it prepares for the imminent budget for 2026/27. The council’s Executive will consider the proposals next week, after the authority published details on Monday. The council says this takes the total money it has saved over the last 16 years to £245.5m, which has also seen a reduction of a third of the council’s staff in that time. No jobs or services are expected to be at risk this year and the council is not expecting to apply for Exceptional Financial Support from Government. Nevertheless, it has been a challenging year for the council – the number of children in council care (per 10,000) continues to be the highest in England at 184 with consequential costs.

💩 An enforcement notice has been issued on Transwaste - the operators of the Jameson Road landfill which residents say is plaguing all of their lives. The Environment Agency, who issued the notice, said that this is due to Transwaste repeatedly failing to cover waste deposited in cells 5 and 6. Action is required but the site can continue to accept waste in the meantime. Transwaste has until 4pm on the 9 February to comply.

Ghislaine Maxwell tried to arrange Mandelson and Clinton meeting in Blackpool

Bill Clinton speaks at the Labour conference in Blackpool in 2002

By Michael Holmes

Child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, the jailed former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, tried to arrange a meeting between Peter Mandelson and Bill Clinton - both known associates of the billionaire paedophile financier - during the former US president’s trip to Blackpool in 2002, the Epstein files have revealed.

An email exchange between Maxwell and Mandelson - released by the US Department of Justice and seen by The Blackpool Lead - shows Maxwell pushing for a meeting during Clinton’s high-profile appearance in the town, before being rebuffed.

The messages do not suggest wrongdoing but provide fresh insight into the access Maxwell tried to broker between senior figures in British and American politics at the height of Epstein’s influence.

Writing under the name “g max”, Maxwell appeared to complain to Mandelson about getting no reply to an earlier message.