Sir Keir Starmer has made it clear that he would not have chosen Peter Mandelson as the US ambassador if he had known then what he knows now. This statement comes after the recent sacking of Lord Mandelson due to the release of more emails between him and Epstein, which revealed his support for the convicted paedophile financier even as he faced sex offence charges in 2008.
The prime minister mentioned that Lord Mandelson had undergone a thorough due diligence process before his appointment, but expressed regret for not being aware of the situation at that time. Sir Keir revealed that he only found out about the content of the emails that led to Lord Mandelson’s dismissal after Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, prompting him to take immediate action.
Deputy PM David Lammy, who was the foreign secretary until a recent cabinet reshuffle, acknowledged that Lord Mandelson had passed the necessary security checks. However, he emphasized that the full extent of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was only revealed on Wednesday evening, leading to his swift removal the following morning.
The timing of Lord Mandelson’s dismissal has put additional pressure on Sir Keir’s leadership, especially as questions arise about what he knew and when regarding the situation. The revelation that the Downing Street and Foreign Office were aware of the emails a day before Sir Keir publicly supported Lord Mandelson at PMQs has raised concerns among Labour MPs. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of misleading the public about his knowledge of Lord Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, further complicating the situation.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle’s statement that appointing Lord Mandelson was considered «worth the risk» at the time has not been well received by Labour backbenchers. The decision to remove Lord Mandelson just before the party conference and after Angela Rayner’s resignation has added to the challenges facing Sir Keir at this critical juncture.
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