Prime Minister Keir Starmer has admitted he "made the mistake" in appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, and apologised to the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking in Northern Ireland, Starmer said: "It was me that made the mistake and it's me that makes the apology to the victims of Epstein."
The apology comes after the release of documents showing what was known about Mandelson's relationship with Epstein at the time of his appointment. Starmer said the documents "led to further questions being asked", but added that details cannot be published yet because they form part of a Metropolitan Police investigation.
The controversy deepened over the £75,000 severance payout Mandelson received after being sacked. Initially he demanded £547,000. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: "If someone has been dishonest and lied, you don't give them a severance payment." Cabinet minister Nick Thomas-Symonds claimed the payout was "value for money" and suggested donating the sum to a charity supporting Epstein victims.
The Liberal Democrats urged Starmer to refer himself to the ethics adviser for potentially misleading parliament over the appointment. Elsewhere, talks are ongoing about Labour MPs defecting to the Green Party, and MP Jess Phillips read out names of 108 women killed by men in the last year during an International Women's Day debate.
