Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he would never have appointed Lord Mandelson as US ambassador had he been aware of the peer's emails to 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, after defending Mandelson at Prime Minister's Questions.
Starmer told broadcasters that he did not know the nature of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein before PMQs, and that he only saw the peer's responses to government inquiries later that evening. 'It was only very late on Wednesday when Peter Mandelson replied to the questions that have been put to him by Government officials,' Starmer said. 'And it was on that, basically, I took my decision that he should be removed.'
The Prime Minister faced criticism after he publicly backed Mandelson at PMQs on Wednesday, only to sack him the following day following the publication of email exchanges between Mandelson and Epstein. The emails reportedly showed Mandelson questioning Epstein's conviction and maintaining a friendship with the financier after his conviction.
Starmer said the emails revealed 'the nature and extent of the relationship... was far different to what I had understood to be the position when I appointed him'. He added that Mandelson's questioning of Epstein's conviction 'cut across the whole approach that I've taken on violence against women and girls'.
Conservative former minister Sir David Davis has secured an emergency debate on the appointment and dismissal of Lord Mandelson, telling MPs: 'We need to know who knew what and when.' Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Committee's request to grill senior officials has been rejected.
