Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he would never have appointed Lord Mandelson as US ambassador had he been aware of the peer's emails with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Prime Minister broke his silence on the matter today, saying he only learned the contents of the emails late on Wednesday evening, after defending Mandelson at Prime Minister's Questions earlier that day.
Speaking to broadcasters, Starmer said: 'It was only on Wednesday, early evening, that I knew the contents of the Bloomberg emails. It was only very late on Wednesday when Peter Mandelson replied to the questions that have been put to him by Government officials. And it was on that, basically, I took my decision that he should be removed.' He added that he had not known the nature and extent of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein at the time of the appointment.
The controversy has deepened with the resignation of a senior aide over historical leaked lewd WhatsApps about Diane Abbott. Meanwhile, Conservative former minister Sir David Davis has secured an emergency debate in Parliament for Tuesday, stating: 'We need to know who knew what and when.' The Foreign Affairs Committee has also requested to grill top officials, though this has been rejected.
Starmer insisted that Mandelson had undergone proper due diligence before his appointment, but said the emails revealed the peer had not only maintained a friendship with Epstein after his conviction but had also questioned the conviction itself. 'That for me went and cut across the whole approach that I've taken on violence against women and girls,' Starmer said.
The Prime Minister sacked Mandelson last Thursday, just a day after publicly backing him at PMQs. The peer has expressed regret over his continued friendship with Epstein. The government is facing internal fury over the handling of the affair, with MPs warning of damage to Starmer's judgment.
