Badenoch Accuses Prime Minister of Failing Duty in Mandelson Appointment Row
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of failing "to do his duty" in the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as the ambassador to Washington, according to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. The explosive allegation came during a tense Prime Minister's Questions session, where Sir Keir repeatedly refused to confirm whether he had personally spoken to Lord Mandelson about details relating to his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Repeated Refusals and Pressing Questions
Mrs Badenoch pressed the Prime Minister on whether he had asked Lord Mandelson about his stay at Epstein's house following the financier's conviction. She stated, "He has repeatedly told us that Peter Mandelson lied to him but he won't tell us if he actually picked up the phone and spoke to Mandelson before appointing him."
She added, "This doesn't make any sense. The Prime Minister told us on the record, and I quote, 'I believed the lies he told me'. If the Prime Minister didn't speak to him, how can he say he lied to him?"
Prime Minister's Defence and Counter-Attack
In response, Sir Keir defended the appointment process, saying, "The process is clear. It's been looked at by the independent adviser." He reiterated that appointing Lord Mandelson was a mistake and repeated his apology to Epstein's victims.
Sir Keir said, "But it was my mistake, and I've apologised for it. She should follow suit and apologise for her gross error of judgment in calling for the UK to join the war in Iran without thinking through the consequences."
Diversion and Further Accusations
When Mrs Badenoch repeatedly asked whether he had talked to Lord Mandelson, Sir Keir diverted the question. Instead, he criticised her stance on the US-Israel war in Iran and called for shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy to be sacked for a post on X.
Sir Keir highlighted that Mr Timothy had described Muslims praying in groups in public after an event in Trafalgar Square as an "act of domination". He said, "If he was in my team, he'd be gone. It's utterly appalling. She should denounce his comments and she should sack him."
Background on Mandelson's Case
Lord Mandelson was arrested on February 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, accused of passing sensitive information to Epstein during his time as business secretary in Gordon Brown's government. He was bailed and later released from bail conditions, though he remains under investigation.
A "due diligence" document drawn up by the Cabinet Office in December 2024 before Lord Mandelson's appointment noted reports detailing his links with Epstein. Lord Mandelson received a £75,000 taxpayer-funded payout when sacked in September 2025 after further details of his relationship with Epstein emerged.
Closing Exchanges and Accusations
Mrs Badenoch accused the PM of blaming "anyone but himself", saying, "This Prime Minister appointed Peter Mandelson but didn't bother to ask the questions. If he cannot be straight with the House on something as simple as this, why should we believe a word he says about anything?"
Sir Keir responded, "Committing our military to a war without thinking through the consequences is the gravest mistake a Leader of the Opposition can ever make, and she comes back a week later and says, 'Oops, I got that one wrong'. She's utterly irrelevant and she's got no judgment."
Mrs Badenoch also accused Sir Keir of trying to avoid scrutiny by releasing documents immediately after Prime Minister's Questions last week, adding to the contentious atmosphere of the parliamentary session.
