Starmer under scrutiny as Mandelson ‘admitted long ties with Epstein in vetting’

Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting questions over what he knew and when of Lord Peter Mandelson’s ties with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed the now-sacked peer as the UK’s ambassador to the US.

The Prime Minister, who picked the Labour grandee for the Washington job, withdrew him on Thursday after emails showed he sent supportive messages even as Epstein faced jail for sex offences.

Sir Keir had defended Lord Mandelson until the emergence of the emails, insisting he had gone through a proper vetting process.

But allies of the peer told The Times that he admitted in his vetting interview that he continued his relationship with Epstein for many years.

That is likely to fuel calls for the Prime Minister to clarify what warnings he was given before making the appointment, as well as concerns about his political judgment.

It is the second scandal-hit departure for the Government in a week after Angela Rayner quit over her tax affairs.

Lord Mandelson’s sacking came after emails showed “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment”, the Foreign Office said.

He was reported to have told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and told him “I think the world of you” the day before the disgraced financier began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.

Lord Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein had been known about, but Bloomberg and The Sun published emails showing that the relationship continued after his crimes had emerged.

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told MPs that information had not been known when Lord Mandelson was appointed.

He said: “In particular, Lord Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information.”

The cache of emails obtained by Bloomberg showed that on the day before Epstein reported to jail in June 2008, Lord Mandelson told him “your friends stay with you and love you”.

Sir Keir, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds reportedly made the call to fire Lord Mandelson on Thursday morning.

Mr Reynolds had received messages from nearly 50 Labour MPs calling for his dismissal, according to The Times.

He refused to resign and felt ill-treated by his removal, the paper reported.

Lord Mandelson said in a letter to staff at the British embassy in Washington that being ambassador had “been the privilege of my life” and that he deeply regretted the “circumstances surrounding” his departure.

Some Labour figures criticised the handling of the row, with former deputy leadership hopeful Paula Barker saying: “The delay in sacking him has only served to further erode the trust and confidence in our Government and politics in the round.”

The co-ordinator of new Labour group Mainstream, Luke Hurst, accused the Prime Minister of “running a narrow and brittle political project” that put factional interest before party and country.

The timing of the sacking causes a diplomatic headache ahead of Donald Trump’s state visit next week, with the US president facing questions over his own ties with Epstein.

Lord Mandelson’s deputy, James Roscoe, will be the interim ambassador to the US and has taken over with immediate effect.

The Conservatives called for full disclosure on who in No 10 knew what about Lord Mandelson’s links with Epstein, while the Liberal Democrats demanded a review of vetting procedures.