Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed for the first time that he knew about Peter Mandelson's longer-term relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him as US ambassador, saying the former peer had “lied repeatedly” about the extent of his contact with the child sex offender.
At prime minister's questions, Starmer said Mandelson had “betrayed our country” in his dealings with Epstein and that he regretted the appointment. He announced that Mandelson had been removed as a privy councillor by agreement with the King, after a police investigation was launched into claims that he leaked market-sensitive information to Epstein while serving in Gordon Brown's government.
Starmer said he had been told about Mandelson's ongoing relationship with Epstein during official security vetting, and that questions were put to Mandelson accordingly, but that he responded with lies. “He lied repeatedly to my team, when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador,” the prime minister said.
The Conservatives are seeking to force the release of official documents about Mandelson's appointment through an opposition-day debate. Starmer said he wanted the full documentation to be seen, but stressed that it was vital to first remove material related to national security or international relations. Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of using national security as a “red herring”, saying the security issue was the appointment itself.
Starmer also defended his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who was seen as instrumental in pushing for Mandelson's appointment. He said McSweeney was an essential part of his team and that he had full confidence in him. The Metropolitan police formally launched a criminal investigation into the leaking allegations on Tuesday, prompting a furious backlash from across the political spectrum, including from Gordon Brown, prime minister at the time of the alleged breaches.
