UK Prime Minister Starmer survives vote to investigate whether he misled parliament, but Mandelson/Epstein crisis deepens
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer survived a parliamentary vote to investigate whether he misled parliament over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to Washington despite knowing his connections to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The vote was won by Starmer with a majority of 335 to 223, but 14 Labour MPs voted against him and 53 abstained or were absent.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer survived a parliamentary confrontation over the Mandelson/Epstein affair. Starmer defended his handling of Mandelson's appointment as UK Ambassador to Washington, claiming it was done with 'full due process'. Before appointing Mandelson in December 2024, Starmer was aware of his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. The UK Security Vetting Service had informed the Foreign Office in January last year that Mandelson's clearance should be denied due to risk factors. Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned in February, and Sir Olly Robbins, Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, was sacked after testifying that FCDO officials were under 'constant pressure' from Downing Street. The opposition forced a vote on whether Starmer should be referred to the Commons Privileges Committee, which was won by the prime minister with a majority of 335 to 223.
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