Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged that he made an error in appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, and has apologised directly to the victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking to reporters 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.”
This marks Starmer’s first public comments on the matter since the release of documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment. The prime minister noted that the files “show what was known” about Mandelson’s links to Epstein, but said further details cannot be disclosed because they are part of an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation.
Downing Street has denied any cover-up, with Starmer’s official spokesperson stating that a blank comment box in the due diligence report did not indicate an attempt to hide information. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the £75,000 severance payout Mandelson received after being sacked, calling it “very dodgy”. Cabinet minister Nick Thomas-Symonds defended the sum as “value for money”, having been negotiated down from an initial demand of £547,000, and suggested the money should be donated to a charity supporting Epstein victims.
In other political developments, Liberal Democrats urged Starmer to refer himself to the ethics adviser over potential misrepresentation of the appointment process. Elsewhere, Green MP Hannah Spencer delivered her maiden speech, and reports emerged of Labour MPs considering defecting to the Green Party. In Scotland, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the government had not been consulted on Ministry of Defence plans to build two defence technical colleges, despite a £20m funding offer contingent on match-funding from Holyrood.
