Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch and others have laid into Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the association between his Ambassador to the United States, Lord Peter Mandelson, and convicted criminal Jeffrey Epstein.
During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 10 September, Starmer faced down several questions over Lord Mandelson’s historical friendship with Epstein, of which Mandelson has said he is ashamed and deeply regretful.
Controversy over Mandelson’s association with Epstein has reignited following the publication of the alleged Epstein ‘birthday book’ by the House Oversight Committee in the United States. These documents contain alleged birthday messages from Donald Trump, Mandelson, and many others.
When asked whether he had confidence in Mandelson in his position of Ambassador to the United States, Starmer said that due process was followed in Mandelson’s appointment, and he had confidence in him to fulfil his duties.
“The victims of Epstein are at the forefront of our minds. He was a despicable criminal who committed the most heinous crimes and destroyed the lives of so many women and girls,” Starmer said.
“The ambassador has repeatedly expressed his deep regret for his association with him. He is right to do so. I have confidence in him and he is playing an important role in the UK-US relationship.”
Badenoch highlighted the close relationship between the two, to which Mandelson had previously admitted, and noted that some had called for Mandelson to lose his position.
“He says the ambassador has expressed full regret, but the victims of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein have called for Lord Mandelson to be sacked,” Badenoch said.
“In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of child prostitution of child prostitution and sex trafficking that took place between 2002 and 2005. That is the precise period [during] which Lord Mandelson called Jeffrey Epstein his ‘best pal’.”
She asked if the Prime Minister was aware of this relationship when Mandelson was appointed to be ambassador to Washington.
“Full due process was followed during this appointment with all ambassadors,” Starmer said, reiterating that he has confidence in Mandelson who is playing an important role in managing UK-US relations.
Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey noted that Mandelson has admitted to the existence of more embarassing details that have not yet been made public, asking whether the Prime Minister was aware of whether the Trump administration had any compromising material on the ambassador.
“Lord Mandelson has admitted to continuing his relationship long after Epstein was convicted and that there are more embarrassing details we don’t yet know,” Davey said.
“People will be surprised by the Prime Minister giving ambassador Mandelson such strong support today. Has the Prime Minister asked the ambassador what other compromising material the Trump administration might have on him as he leads Britain’s negotiations with the White House?”
“As I’ve made clear, full due process was gone through when the appointment was made,” Starmer said.
Today marked the first session of Prime Minister’s Questions following the resignation of Angela Rayner from her positions of Deputy Prime Minister, Housing Secretary, and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
Rayner resigned after the government’s ethics adviser found she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on a second flat.
This sparked a major reshuffle of the cabinet, with David Lammy stepping into the position of Deputy Prime Minister and several changes across prominent ministerial positions.
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