No route back to Government for Mandelson, Starmer signals

Lord Peter Mandelson will never get a Government job again, Sir Keir Starmer has signalled, after the peer’s close ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein were revealed.

The grandee of the New Labour era was sacked from his role as the UK’s ambassador to the United States, after emails emerged in September in which he told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Lord Mandelson is also reported to have told Epstein “I think the world of you” the day before the sex offender began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.

Speaking to reporters during his trade mission to Mumbai, the Prime Minister was asked if he could see a future for Lord Mandelson in frontline politics.

Sir Keir replied: “Not in a Government role in terms of future appointments.

“I think Peter is also on a leave of absence from the Lords in any event so the issue of the whip doesn’t arise.”

Lord Mandelson technically does not have the Labour whip in the Lords as when he started his post as ambassador to Washington he took a leave of absence from Parliament’s upper chamber.

The peer has previously said he continued his association with Epstein “for too long”.