Two scandals and two allies gone in two weeks – serious questions remain about Starmer’s political judgement
Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Mandelson, the paedophile and the peer.
It was a friendship that endured even beyond Epstein’s convictions and one on Thursday that ended Lord Mandelson’s political career.
Politics Live: Starmer accused of ‘blatant disregard for national security considerations’
When emails emerged of exchanges between the two men showing Lord Mandelson remaining supportive of Epstein even after he was convicted for the sex trafficking of underage girls, it was clear he had to go.
Lord Mandelson tried to cling on. The PM summarily relieved him of his duties.
There had initially been an appetite to keep him, in order to avoid embarrassing Donald Trump, who himself is being asked questions about his association with Epstein – and hates it.
But when these emails emerged, it was clear to No 10 that the scandal would blow up the state visit and Mandelson had to go.
But what was also true was that even attempting to keep him in these circumstances could blow up Sir Keir Starmer.
The parliamentary party – and particularly many of the women MPs – were absolutely furious that Mandelson had backed a convicted paedophile against women and girls who had, to quote one victim, been passed to men by Epstein like fruit trays.
The spectre of a powerful man like Mandelson trying to protect him and even the thought of the PM trying to row in behind was absolutely unconscionable.
As Harriet Harman said on our Electoral Dysfunction podcast before he was sacked: “These young women talked about the ruination of their lives by this man abusing his wealth and his power.
“And the idea that Peter Mandelson sided with Epstein in that situation – and this is always the question – whose side are you on?
“You’ve got to be on the side of the vulnerable and not against the person who commits criminal offences, abusing their power.”
Harman also said she thought the prime minister would have been in “anguish” over having to defend Mandelson in the Commons.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Harriet Harman, Ruth Davidson, and Beth Rigby react to the news
He looked almost as green as the green benches on Wednesday as he insisted he had full confidence in his ambassador, despite warnings from Mandelson himself that more embarrassing material was about to emerge.
When that material did emerge, I understand that the PM spent the evening in Downing Street going through the material and then summoned his new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who has been a tireless champion in the fight to end violence against women and girls, for a meeting in which they decided to sack Mandelson.
Read more:
No 10 appointed Mandelson despite concerns
Analysis – why wasn’t Mandelson fired yesterday?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky’s US Correspondent Mark Stone provides analysis on the impact this may have on UK-US relations, as the President’s state visit to the UK approaches
That the US ambassador didn’t go of his own accord has angered many MPs and probably the PM, who has a record of prosecuting child sex offenders and made halving violence against women and girls a priority for this government.
Now Mandelson has gone. But, with the end of that comes new questions.
Questions about Keir Starmer’s political judgement.
This is not the first time Lord Mandelson has resigned in disgrace.
He stepped down as trade secretary over a loan from a colleague he failed to register under Tony Blair, and then quit again as Northern Ireland secretary over a cash for passports scandal.
And now the question is, in light of the Epstein connection, why did Starmer let him back in?
There is talk around Westminster that his key advisers had backed the move and Starmer had some reservations.
As well he might, because in the end, the scandal of it all stops at the PM’s door.
There are questions as to whether No 10 ignored concerns raised by the appointment and Badenoch is asking for full transparency.
My colleague, Sam Coates, was told by two sources that the security services did flag concerns as part of the process.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
No 10 went ahead with the appointment anyway, Sky News understands
It is not known whether all of the detail was shared with the prime minister personally.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said No 10 “was not involved in the security vetting process”.
Badenoch said the latest revelations “point yet again to the terrible judgement of Keir Starmer”.
She added that it is “imperative that all documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment are released immediately”.
Then there is a bigger picture.
Two weeks into a supposed reset, two scandals and two key figures gone from government.
This was a PM who promised to do politics differently and clean up after the scandal-ridden Tory years.
Peter Mandelson’s return to government and ousting in this manner casts a long shadow over the PM and that promise, and raises serious questions about the PM’s political judgement.
It also casts a shadow over the upcoming state visit.
It was only on Wednesday that No 10 was thinking about trying to keep Mandelson to try to avoid putting the spotlight back onto President Trump.
With the White House, Royal Family and the UK government all tarnished by association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, this was an issue they all wanted to avoid and now it is top of the agenda.
Politics
Kemi Badenoch accuses Sir Keir Starmer of ‘lying’ about Peter Mandelson prior to sacking him
Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “lying to the whole country” about what he knew regarding Peter Mandelson’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein.
Lord Mandelson was this week stripped of his position as ambassador to the US amid fresh scrutiny over his years-long friendship with the convicted paedophile.
The prime minister initially defended the Labour peer but removed him from his post on Thursday after newly seen emails revealed he sent messages of support to Epstein even as he faced jail for sex offences in 2008.
Politics latest: ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally takes place with counterprotest nearby
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Lord Mandelson – the unanswered questions
The Times has now reported that Downing Street and the Foreign Office were aware of the emails on Tuesday – a day before Sir Keir gave Lord Mandelson his backing at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
In a post on X, Conservative leader Ms Badenoch wrote: “Looks like the Prime Minister and Labour MPs spent the week lying to the whole country about what they knew regarding Mandelson’s involvement with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.”
She continued: “If No 10 had those emails for 48 hours before acting, it means he lied at PMQs and ministers lied again about new additional information. These are yet more errors of judgment.
“The Prime Minister has very serious questions to answer. The only way to clear this up is full transparency about who knew what, and when.”
👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈
Sources said Sir Keir was not aware of the contents of the emails when he told MPs he had “confidence” in Lord Mandelson.
A media enquiry outlining details of the messages between Lord Mandelson and Epstein was sent to the Foreign Office on Tuesday, and passed on to Number 10.
Sir Oliver Robbins, the permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, asked Lord Mandelson about the emails on Tuesday, but did not receive a response until the following day.
Sir Keir is understood not to have been aware of the contents of the emails until Wednesday evening.
Speaking to Sky News, one Labour MP has called for more information on what happened behind closed doors at No 10 this week.
Jo White, MP for Bassetlaw, in Nottinghamshire, said: “We cannot move on until we find out how he [Sir Keir] was not briefed properly before PMQs.”
“What he needs to do now is get on top and sort out this mess,” she said. “Suspend the whip from Peter Mandelson and expel him from the party, then have a transparent enquiry about what went wrong at No.10.”
This came as Sir Keir enjoyed some time away from Downing Street.
The prime minister was on Saturday pictured watching Arsenal face Nottingham Forest in a Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal fan Sir Keir cheered on his side as they won 3-0. Pic: Reuters
Lord Mandelson’s exit came after less than a fortnight after another high-profile loss for the Labour government, as Angela Rayner was forced to quit as deputy prime minister and deputy Labour leader over her tax affairs.
As Sir Keir has faced a scandal-hit start to the month, a growing number of Labour MPs have begun calling his leadership into question.
Read more from Sky News:
Mandelson’s exit leaves Trump visit in the lurch
What we know about Mandelson-Epstein relationship
Lucy Powell, who is running to replace Ms Rayner as Labour’s deputy leader, has called for a “change of culture” at Downing Street.
“We’ve got a bit of a groupthink happening at the top, that culture of not being receptive to interrogation, not being receptive to differing views,” she told The Guardian newspaper.
Meanwhile, senior Labour MP Emily Thornberry has written to the new foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, demanding answers about the vetting process for UK diplomats in the wake of Lord Mandelson’s sacking.
A man has admitted arson after a major fire at an MP’s constituency office.
Joshua Oliver, 28, pleaded guilty to starting the fire which destroyed the office of Labour MP Sharon Hodgson, at Vermont House in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
The fire also wrecked a small charity for people with very rare genetic diseases and an NHS mental health service for veterans.
The guilty plea was entered at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on the basis that it was reckless rather than intentional.
Hodgson, who has been an MP since 2005, winning her seat again in 2019. Pic: Reuters
The Crown did not accept that basis of plea.
Oliver, of no fixed address, had been living in a tent nearby, the court heard.
Northumbria Police previously said it was “alerted to a fire at a premises on Woodland Terrace in the Washington area” shortly after 12.20am on Thursday.
“Emergency services attended and no one is reported to have been injured in the incident,” it added.
Drone footage from the scene showed extensive damage to the building.
Read more:
Weather warning in place for Sunday
Migrant hotel critics meet asylum seekers
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
“We have worked closely with Northumbria Police as they carried out their investigation.”
Oliver was remanded in custody and will appear at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, 14 October.
In comments to Cointelegraph, Kalshi claimed that Massachusetts is “trying to block Kashi’s innovations by relying on outdated laws.”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment11 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024