Starmer fights desperate last stand against furious Labour rebellion | UK | News

The Prime Minister faces a fight for survival after confirming he knew of Lord Mandelson’s ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein before making him ambassador to Washington.

Sir Keir Starmer told Parliament he had received warnings about his peer’s relationship with the disgraced financier; This included staying at Epstein’s New York apartment for child sex crimes.

Labor MPs were outraged after the admission triggered comparisons with deadly political crises. Senior government officials privately condemned the appointment as untenable. A cabinet minister called Mandelson’s choice “very difficult to defend” and described it as “another self-inflicted wound”.

A second minister told colleagues the situation was “hugely important” to Starmer’s premiership. A third described the Commons performance as “physically painful” to witness.

Friend predicts decline

Baron Hutton of Furness made a devastating decision on LBC on Wednesday evening. A Labor Party official said he believed Starmer’s handling of the Mandelson scandal “could signal the end of the prime minister’s term”.

He added: “It’s about the prime minister’s leadership and I think unless that changes dramatically I think the government is in serious trouble.”

Backbench rebellion forces escalation

Chaos broke out in parliament as Starmer tried to limit the disclosure of documents. But the Prime Minister made an embarrassing last-minute retreat and eventually agreed to allow a panel of MPs and colleagues to decide which Mandelson appointment papers should be made public.

Angela Rayner led a rebellion against her former boss. The former deputy prime minister, seen as a potential leadership rival, rallied backbenchers to demand full transparency. Morgan McSweeney is facing calls to be fired for her central role in Mandelson’s election.

Brian Leishman, Labor MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, declared McSweeney’s position “untenable”. But Starmer defended his deputy in the Commons, describing him as an “important” team member.

Police prevented the release of evidence

Scotland Yard dealt a further blow by blocking the publication of material that Starmer claimed proved Mandelson was lying. Officers warned that the revelation would be “detrimental” to the ongoing criminal investigation into the peer.

Mandelson faces possible investigation for misconduct in public office; This crime carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Starmer made an extraordinary report on his own appointee.

He said: “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.”

Forced confession under interrogation

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch made a very important admission during the changes.

Starmer acknowledged knowing that Mandelson continued to communicate with Epstein after he was sentenced to prison for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Cabinet Office review documents contained this information, but Starmer insisted he remained unaware of the “sheer depth and scope of the relationship”.

He said: “He lied to everyone about this for years and in September new information was released showing the relationship was materially different from what we were led to believe.”

The Cabinet Office’s etiquette and ethics team has produced a two-page review pointing out a number of issues. Authorities highlighted Epstein’s friendship with Mandelson, potential conflicts over lobbying activities and details of past discussions.

The report included links to photos showing Epstein and Mandelson together.

Opposition leader condemns the decision

Badenoch described Starmer’s previous information as “absolutely shocking”.

He said: “The Prime Minister chose to inject Mandelson’s poison into the heart of his government. His disastrous lack of judgment endangered national security, jeopardized our diplomacy and embarrassed our nation.”

Starmer initially proposed releasing appointment files while allowing the cabinet secretary to withhold or redact material affecting national security or international relations.

Angry scenes immediately broke out in the House of Commons. Labor MPs immediately forced the government to take back the threat of rebellion.

Rayner leads the demand for transparency

The former deputy prime minister argued that “the public is disgusted” because the appointment process requires parliamentary scrutiny.

Rayner insisted that the Intelligence and Security Committee needed access to all documents to “maintain public confidence” in government procedures. Treasury select committee chair Dame Meg Hillier backed the call, along with John McDonnell, who served as Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor.

Both requested that the ISC receive all the evidence without redactions. Government leaders hastily rewrote the amendments to the Conservative motion.

The revised text averted parliamentary defeat by giving the ISC access to unaltered documents. But the Metropolitan Police further exacerbated Starmer’s crisis by objecting to “specific documents” shared by the Cabinet Office.

Officers warned that his release could “undermine our current investigation” into Mandelson’s behaviour. Detectives are examining allegations that his colleague passed market-sensitive information to Epstein while serving as business secretary in Gordon Brown’s Labor administration.