British Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a fierce attack on his former US ambassador Peter Mandelson yesterday, seeking to assuage anger from across British politics and saying he was sorry he had believed his “lies” before appointing him.
Starmer is under huge pressure, including from legislators in his own Labour Party, over the decision to make Mandelson Britain’s ambassador to Washington in December 2024, when his ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were already known.
Files released by the US Justice Department last week included emails highlighting just how close that relationship was, and also suggested Mandelson had leaked government documents to Epstein, and that Epstein had recorded payments to Mandelson or his then-partner, now husband.
“It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,” Starmer said at the outset of a speech in southern England.
Mandelson, a government minister when Labour was previously in power more than 15 years ago, quit his position in parliament’s upper chamber, the House of Lords, on Tuesday in the face of the uproar over his links to Epstein, and is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct in office.
Starmer fired Mandelson last September, but his opponents and even those in his own party have said the new revelations posed major questions about his judgement. With polls suggesting Starmer is already hugely unpopular with the British public, some in his own party say his position is under threat.
Tackling the mounting criticism, he used his speech to angrily condemn Mandelson, saying the latest revelations raised serious questions. He accused Mandelson of not entering public service because he believed in serving the public good.
“I was lied to, lied to; deceit,” he said. “I understand the anger and frustration among Labour MPs about what has happened ... I actually share that anger and frustration, it was palpable yesterday. I’m not surprised.”
Addressing Epstein’s victims he said: “I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointing him.”
Starmer said he wanted to release the security vetting advice that he was given when he selected Mandelson for the Washington role, but that he needed to abide by a police request not to do anything that could prejudice an investigation.
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