Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he would never have appointed Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US. This decision would have come if he had known the full details of Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer made the comments following the sacking of the Labour peer.
Starmer confirmed that Mandelson underwent due diligence before his appointment. However, he added, “Had I known then what I know now, I’d have never appointed him.”
Emails reported by Bloomberg showed Mandelson sent supportive messages to Epstein in 2008. This was following Epstein’s guilty plea. The emails included phrases such as “fight for early release” shortly before Epstein was sentenced to 18 months for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Mandelson reportedly wrote “I think the world of you” the day before Epstein began his sentence.
Starmer said these emails demonstrated that Mandelson “was not only questioning but wanting to challenge the conviction of Epstein at the time.” He added that the emails conflicted with his long-standing approach on violence against women and girls. This also conflicts with the government’s stance.
The prime minister said the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein differed significantly from what he had understood when appointing him. He added that he was “not at all” satisfied with Mandelson’s responses to government questions.
Starmer insisted he did not see the emails when defending Mandelson during Prime Minister’s Questions. However, he knew Foreign Office officials had questioned the peer about them. The situation has sparked scrutiny of Starmer’s judgment and leadership. This follows Angela Rayner’s resignation as deputy prime minister and the recent resignation of senior aide Paul Ovenden.
The controversy is likely to be discussed in an emergency parliamentary debate. This could impact Starmer ahead of US President Donald Trump’s state visit and the upcoming Labour conference. Labour MPs have expressed frustration both publicly and privately over Starmer’s handling of the situation. Meanwhile, Tory MPs, including Alex Burghart, have questioned what Starmer knew and when regarding Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein.
The Mandelson scandal adds to mounting political pressure on Starmer as he faces challenges from both within Labour and from opposition parties.
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