Political situation in the UK

Starmer defends himself: “Mandelson lied to us”

Peter Mandelson was asked about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and whether he accepted gifts before he was appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the US, says Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a speech in Hastings.

The information that has now become known shows that he lied, says Starmer, who apologizes to Epstein’s victims and says he is sorry for believing Peter Mandelson’s lies.

Labour MP Karl Turner tells Times Radio that the mood among the party’s MPs is the angriest he has experienced in his 16 years in the House of Commons.

Karl Turner demands that Starmer sack his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who is said to have been the one who argued most strongly for appointing former minister Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.

If that doesn’t happen, Turner believes that “the prime minister will end up having to make a decision about his future quite soon.” 

Labour criticism of Starmer after Mandelson scandal

Within the Labour Party in the UK, criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer is growing after the scandal surrounding former Labour figure and US ambassador Peter Mandelson's links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reports the BBC.

At a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, Starmer said that he knew that Mandelson had maintained a close friendship with Epstein even after he was convicted of sex trafficking, and that he still appointed him as ambassador. He also said that he would not have made the decision if he had known how close the friendship was and that Mandelson lied to him several times.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, who challenged Starmer for the party leadership, says that it was a "huge miscalculation" to make Mandelson ambassador and that big questions remain for the prime minister to answer.

MP Barry Gardner tells the BBC that Starmer seems to be trying to hide behind investigations. When asked if Starmer should resign, Gardner replied:

– I think he should think carefully about what is best for the country.

A member who wishes to remain anonymous says he is unsure whether he would vote for Starmer in a possible vote of no confidence, reports The Guardian.