Sir Keir Starmer executed a notably swift exit from the House of Commons immediately after delivering a mid-afternoon statement concerning his recent diplomatic visit to China. Observers noted the Labour leader's hurried departure with some colourful commentary on his pace. This rapid retreat meant he avoided the subsequent parliamentary business: a statement addressing the controversy surrounding Lord Peter Mandelson and his associations with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Downing Street Distances Itself from Mandelson
Prior to the debate, Downing Street had publicly disowned Lord Mandelson, asserting he had 'brought the Lords into disrepute'. This condemnation prompted wider questions about whether an unelected chamber, often populated by political donors, appointed figures, and various professionals, could indeed fall further in public esteem. The core of the issue, however, appeared to be that Mandelson's actions had inadvertently caused significant embarrassment for Sir Keir Starmer, making the Labour leader appear foolish.
Parliamentary Fury and Demands for Action
With Starmer absent, Cabinet Office Minister Darren Jones was left to face the music. He opened by stating that the victims of Jeffrey Epstein 'must be our first priority', a sentiment many MPs viewed as secondary to the immediate political imperative of protecting the Prime Minister from collateral damage. The chamber then turned its focus to Lord Mandelson, with MPs from across the aisle launching fierce attacks. The once-influential political operator found no defenders in the house, with his reputation being thoroughly dismantled.
Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis invoked a historical animal analogy, recalling that former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had once compared Mandelson to a scorpion. Lewis demanded an explanation for the 'fatal fascination' successive Labour leaders had with such a 'deadly creature'. Colleague Andrew Murrison offered a different comparison, suggesting Mandelson was more akin to a Chinese mitten crab, an invasive species known for its hairy claws, though he conceded the analogy was imperfect as Mandelson is known to wax his hands.
Calls for Expulsion and Wider Concerns
A chorus of MPs, including Labour's Andy McDonald and Conservatives Simon Hoare and Esther McVey, demanded urgent legislation to eject Mandelson from the House of Lords. McVey repeatedly interjected from her seat, insisting 'It can!' be done, while Minister Jones spoke vaguely about strengthening the Lords' disciplinary powers and noted other peers, like the Conservative-turned-independent Baroness Mone, might also warrant removal.
The debate intensified as MPs called for a police investigation into Mandelson, a strengthening of the ministerial code, and an inquiry into the vetting process before his appointment as an ambassador to Washington during the Trump administration. Concerns were raised about potential 'kompromat' or compromising material that might exist on him. Labour's Kim Johnson demanded the removal 'of all the privileges from this awful man as soon as possible', a sentiment echoed by colleagues urging action 'at pace' to prevent wider contamination of the political establishment.
Personal Attacks and Political Discomfort
The pressure visibly told on the front bench. Darren Jones, sporting a youthful beardlet, flushed pink under the onslaught. To his right, Chris Ward, a key Starmer ally, appeared to overheat and left the chamber early. On the government side, Whip Imogen Walker, who is married to the Prime Minister's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, had to endure pointed questions from Labour's Clive Efford about who precisely had advised the Prime Minister on the matter.
Further contributions included a diagnosis from Labour's Peter Prinsley of a 'self-destruction chip' in Mandelson, while other MPs expressed deeper worries about a similar flaw in the current Labour leadership itself. Awkward questions were also raised about Lord Doyle, Starmer's former press spokesman now in the Lords, hinting at potential future scandals.
A Moment of Tradition Amid the Turmoil
In a contrasting moment of tradition, the new Lord Speaker, Lord Forsyth, made his debut on the Woolsack, dressed in the role's formal garb resembling a nineteenth-century preacher. His first formal procession included a discreet kiss blown to an elegant woman in the gallery, which briefly sparked journalistic curiosity until it was confirmed to be his wife, providing an oddly old-fashioned footnote to a day of very modern political scandal and recrimination.
