Lord Mandelson sacked: Starmer facing questions after Epstein revelations
Labour MPs are questioning Sir Keir Starmer’s judgement after the Prime Minister sacked Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador over his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, just a day after giving him his full backing.
Sir Keir, who picked the Labour grandee to be the UK’s representative in Washington, made the decision yesterday after emails showed the peer sent supportive messages even as Epstein faced jail for sex offences.
Lord Mandelson failed to deny he told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and told him, “I think the world of you” the day before he began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.
The cache of emails obtained by Bloomberg showed that on the day before Epstein reported to jail in June 2008, Lord Mandelson told him “your friends stay with you and love you”.
He said: “You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release and be philosophical about it as much as you can.
“The whole thing has been years of torture and now you have to show the world how big a person you are and how strong.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson told reporters that the emails showed “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment”.
The Yorkshire Post understands that while Lord Mandelson’s relationship with the paedophile was discussed during the vetting process, these emails were not disclosed.
Prior to his appointment last year, an internal report from the US bank JP Morgan suggested that Lord Mandelson stayed at Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2009 after the paedophile had been jailed for soliciting a minor.
On Wednesday at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said he had “full confidence” in Lord Mandelson.
However, yesterday morning, he was withdrawn as ambassador with immediate effect.
The timing of his sacking causes a diplomatic headache ahead of Donald Trump’s state visit next week, with the US president facing questions over his own ties with Epstein.
Hull City Council has also put forward a motion to remove Lord Mandelson as High Steward of Hull, a ceremonial role that was also held by his grandfather.
On the sacking, Middlesbrough and Thornaby East MP Andy McDonald said “it doesn't look good that” the Prime Minister “expressed confidence” in Lord Mandelson at PMQs, before coming to a “completely different conclusion” a few hours’ later.
The Labour MP added: “The question which arises is - was it lack of information, lack of evidence or lack of judgement which went appallingly wrong?”
“I always had concerns about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, given his chequered history in government prior to that, and I believe the PM should have too.
“We need to have an inquiry into the appointment of Mandelson and see where that leads us.”
One Labour insider told this paper that Sir Keir “has never been more vulnerable”.
It comes as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and ex-Commons leader Lucy Powell were confirmed as the two candidates to replace Angela Rayner as Labour’s deputy leader yesterday evening.
Ms Powell, who was sacked by Sir Keir in the latest reshuffle, is hoping that member discontent with the government can win her enough votes, while Ms Phillipson is seen as No10’s candidate.