Sir Keir Starmer has resisted calls for a public inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein and the alleged use of British airports and RAF bases to traffic girls, insisting that ongoing police investigations must be allowed to run their course.
The Prime Minister faced pressure at Prime Minister’s Questions from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who backed a demand from former prime minister Gordon Brown for six police forces to investigate whether Prince Andrew used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases during his time as trade envoy to meet the convicted sex offender. Davey urged the Government to release all flight logs and related documents.
Davey said: “The former prime minister Gordon Brown has raised deeply shocking concerns that Jeffrey Epstein may have used British airports and even RAF bases to traffic young women and girls in and out of our country. This is appalling. The Prime Minister knows that I agree with Gordon Brown that there needs to be a full public inquiry into all this. If he does not agree with Gordon Brown, will he at the very least commit to releasing the flight logs and related documents? Or, will he wait for the House to force the Government to do that?”
Starmer responded: “I think it’s important to appreciate there’s obviously a police investigation going on. And I think it’s right, and I’m sure he agrees with this, that that has to go wherever the evidence takes it, and we have to let that investigation run its course before deciding what next action needs to be taken.” Davey agreed that the police investigation should take priority but argued it did not rule out a public inquiry or the release of flight logs.
The exchange came after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of being called the “paedo defenders party” by its own backbenchers, referring to the suspension of Dan Norris, MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, who was arrested on suspicion of historic child sex offences. It also followed news that ministers had agreed to release files related to Prince Andrew’s appointment as trade envoy in 2001. Andrew and former US ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson were both arrested and released on bail earlier this month over their alleged links with Epstein.
