Starmer says Mandelson ‘lied repeatedly’ as he faces furious Epstein ‘cover-up’ accusations in Commons 

Keir Starmer is facing a Labor revolt against the Mandelson ‘cover-up’ today as he insists not all investigation documents can be released.

In searing PMQs, Sir Keir said the former Cabinet minister had ‘betrayed’ the country and would be legally stripped of his title of ‘Lord’ and booted from the privy council.

He said Mandelson ‘lied throughout the process’ about his appointment as US ambassador and promised to publish details.

But Sir Keir has admitted for the first time that he knew when appointing Mandelson to this important post that the financier’s relationship with Epstein continued after his first conviction for sexual offences.

And he emphasized that some information may need to be kept for ‘national security’ and ‘international relations’ reasons. He added that the police wanted anything that would harm the investigation to be postponed.

Under questioning by Kemi Badenoch, the Prime Minister argued that decisions on what to broadcast would not be a ‘political process’.

But the Conservative Party leader insisted there would be a ‘cover-up’ to protect ‘the Prime Minister and Peter Mandelson’s protégé, Morgan McSweeney’.

‘The Prime Minister chose, on the advice of Morgan McSweeney, to inject Mandelson’s poison into the heart of his Government,’ he said.

Sir Keir appeared to pin his fate, which has been the subject of much anger from MPs, on that of his chief of staff. ‘Morgan McSweeney is an important part of my team,’ he said.

The government bowed to Tory demands to publish large amounts of material about the disgraced former ambassador for fear of defeat in a tough Commons vote later.

But Sir Keir is also seeking to add a ‘national security and international relations’ exemption to that commitment, potentially giving ministers a way out.

Decisions on what to broadcast will not be a ‘political process’, PM argues as questioned by Kemi Badenoch

Keir Starmer is struggling to avoid revealing damaging details of Lord Mandelson’s influence and faces scrutiny today amid claims of Labor ‘cover-up’

Labor MPs are making clear this morning that this change is unacceptable as the government could ‘mark its own homework’.

The stage is set for a dramatic political showdown after police launched a criminal investigation into allegations that Lord Mandelson passed sensitive market information to Jeffrey Epstein while he was a Cabinet minister.

Poland last night launched an investigation into whether Epstein was a Russian spy; British intelligence experts said it was ‘very likely’ that he was sharing inappropriate material with the KGB.

Lord Mandelson on Friday rejected a trove of evidence showing the US government had broken the law.

The architect of New Labor will resign from the Lords today after Sir Keir threatened to legislate to fire him. However, he will retain his title unless there is a change in the law and emphasized that his career in public life is not over yet.

Ms Badenoch told the House that the decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador to the US was ‘at the very heart of this Prime Minister’s decision’.

Paying tribute to Epstein’s victims, Sir Keir told the House of Commons: ‘To learn that a cabinet minister leaked sensitive information at the height of the response to the crash in 2008 is beyond infuriating, and I am as outraged as the public and any member of this House – Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party.

‘He repeatedly lied to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him.

‘If I had known then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near the Government.

‘Therefore yesterday the Cabinet Secretary, with my support, took the decision to refer the material to the police and there is now a criminal investigation.

‘I have instructed my team to draft wider legislation to strip Mandelson of his title and remove his disgraced peers, and this morning I agreed with His Majesty the King that Mandelson be removed from the list of privy counselors on grounds that bring him into disrepute with the Privy Council.’

The Prime Minister admitted he knew Mandelson maintained his friendship with Epstein after the financier was convicted of sex crimes.

But he added: ‘The depth, the sheer depth and scope of the relationship was unknown. He lied to everyone about this for years, and in September new information was released showing that the relationship was materially different than we were led to believe. ‘When new information came to light, I fired him.’

Sir Keir said the Government planned to publish all possible information about the due diligence process ahead of Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US.

However, he claimed that important details would not be disclosed.

‘To be fully clear with the House, I must also disclose that the Metropolitan Police contacted my office this morning to raise any matter that would prejudice their investigation,’ he said.

‘We are meeting with them about this and I hope to keep the House updated, but I think I need to make this clear.’

A photo released as part of the Epstein files shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman wearing a white bathrobe with underwear.

The Conservatives have tabled a ‘modest appeal’ motion, a secret parliamentary mechanism, to force the Government to release documents including due diligence carried out by the Cabinet Office, emails between the Prime Minister’s private secretary Morgan McSweeney and Lord Mandelson regarding his relationship with Epstein, and minutes of meetings held regarding the appointment.

Labor MPs oppose efforts to ‘cover up’ Lord Mandelson, with some later suggesting they will vote Conservative

Backbench MP Ian Byrne said the ‘full, uncorrected truth’ must come out

Almost identical messages were sent by left-wing Labor MPs

Cabinet minister Wes Streeting, giving interviews on behalf of the government this morning, confirmed documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s review would be released.

He said that his peer’s behavior created a feeling of betrayal and that he no longer saw his peer as a friend.

He told Times Radio: ‘You can see the anger of people across the political spectrum and in our country.

‘I cannot express strongly enough how bitterly this betrayal feels to those of us in the Labor Party who feel personally let down.’

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch will seek to redirect attention to Sir Keir’s move last year to appoint Lord Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the US.

He demanded Downing Street explain the review process, claiming concerns had been ‘dispelled’ for the Prime Minister to ‘politically appoint a man who was a close friend of a convicted pedophile’.

His party will introduce a modest speech motion, a secret parliamentary mechanism that will try to force the Government to release documents including due diligence carried out by the Cabinet Office, emails between the Prime Minister’s private secretary Morgan McSweeney and Lord Mandelson about his relationship with Epstein, and minutes of meetings held about the appointment.

Modest speeches, if accepted, would be binding on ministers.

Ms Badenoch said she hoped Labor MPs would ‘join us in the fight for the truth’, amid speculation that some Labor MPs might abstain due to anger over the incident on the backbenches.

No 10 added a twist to the low-key address, calling for the release of all documents ‘except those that are prejudicial to the national security or international relations of the United Kingdom’, according to a House of Commons resolution.

But Labor MP Andy McDonald told Sky News it would probably still go ahead. Vote Tories this afternoon.

‘If this amendment were valid on its face, it would be a cover-up of the entire Mandelson affair,’ he said.

‘We can’t let the government do its homework.’

Mr McDonald said the change was ‘nonsense because it was just a way of not disclosing information’.

The Metropolitan Police said last night it was investigating the former government minister for misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The Cabinet Office passed the material to the police after an initial review of documents released by the US Department of Justice as part of the Epstein files found that they contained ‘possibly market-sensitive information’ and that official action measures had been ‘compromised’.

Former prime minister Mr Brown also said he had provided the Met with ‘relevant’ information about Lord Mandelson’s ‘inexcusable and unpatriotic action’.

The documents include an email that appears to have been sent from Lord Mandelson to Epstein, mentioning that the UK government has ‘sellable’ assets

Newly released emails from 2009 show Lord Mandelson shared sensitive information on at least four occasions, including Mr Brown’s adviser’s assessment of potential policy measures, including an ‘asset sale plan’.

Mr Brown also claimed that Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald ignored his request to examine communications between Lord Mandelson and Epstein last September.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters that Mr Brown’s letter to Sir Chris asked specifically about the sale of Royal Bank of Scotland assets to JP Morgan, to which the Cabinet Secretary replied in November that there were no files linking Epstein to the sale.

A Government spokesman said: ‘The Government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police require.’