Labour MPs largely avoided a Commons debate on the Lord Mandelson scandal on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced mounting pressure over his handling of the affair. Government benches were notably sparse compared to those of the Opposition during the three-hour 'emergency' debate, with no sign of Starmer himself, who remained in No10 despite calls for him to provide detailed answers.
Less than 90 minutes into the debate, Labour ran out of speakers, leaving opposition parties to criticise the appointment. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of 'hiding from Parliament' and demanded he 'publish the Mandelson-Epstein files in full'. She said: 'The Prime Minister needs to come clean about what he knew and when he knew it.'
Starmer broke cover on Monday to give his first account, acknowledging he knew officials were examining fresh emails between Lord Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein when he voiced confidence in Mandelson at PMQs last week. However, he insisted he did not know the contents and suggested aides should have briefed him more thoroughly. The Foreign Office later published a letter denying it had conducted 'due diligence' on Mandelson.
Former PM Gordon Brown defended Starmer, saying he faces 'very difficult decisions' and would be 'completely exonerated' once the full record is known. But internal Labour criticism is growing, with one senior MP likening the situation to 'the decline of Rome' and a veteran moderate stating: 'Keir is finished… he was a dud from day one.' A YouGov poll showed Reform UK nine points ahead, with Labour support at just 20 per cent, while Starmer's personal rating hit minus 46.
