Keir Starmer: ‘I regret appointing Peter Mandelson’ but admits Epstein questions had been raised during vetting

Keir Starmer has said he regrets appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States and claimed that he had “lied repeatedly” about his relationship with Epstein.

Mandelson resigned as a member of the House of Lords after it emerged that he had exchanged sensitive information with Epstein while serving in Gordon Brown’s government.

During Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer said: “To learn that there was a Cabinet minister leaking sensitive information at the height of the response to the 2008 crash is beyond infuriating.

“I am as angry as the public and any member of this House. Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party.

“He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would have never been anywhere near government.

“Yesterday, the Cabinet Secretary with my support took the decision to refer material to the police – and there is now a criminal investigation. I’ve instructed my team to draft legislation to strip Mandelson of his title and wider legislation to remove disgraced peers.

“This morning, I’ve agreed with His Majesty the King that Mandelson should be removed from the list of Privy Councillors on the grounds that he has brought the reputation of the Privy Council into disrepute.”

Labour benches in the Commons were deathly silent during the exchange between Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch.

One Labour MP told LabourList: “It’s like parallel PMQs. Loyal questions on one side and one issue on the other.”

When asked whether official security vetting mentioned Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with Epstein, Starmer told MP that it did – and that questions were put to him as a result.

The Prime Minister said that he intends to allow MPs to see full documentation to show how Mandelson “completely misrepresented the extent to his relationship with Epstein”.

Keir Starmer defended Morgan McSweeney, who was said to have been heavily influential in Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador.

The Prime Minister said: “Morgan McSweeney is an essential part of my team. He helped me change the Labour Party and win an election. Of course I have confidence in him.”

Commenting on PMQs LabourList editor Emma Burnell said: “When talking specifically about Peter Mandelson, Starmer hit the right note – a combination of anger and disgust. He repeatedly said that he had lied to him and those vetting him.

“The problem is that this did not carry through in responses to the wider questions this whole sordid affair inevitably raise. Here Starmer repeatedly fell back on process, without the passion for pursuing the outcomes of that process that was needed to satisfy a party reeling from the damage Mandelson has done.”

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