Reputation of UK Government ‘in tatters’ over Mandelson row, says Swinney

The reputation of Sir Keir Starmer’s Government is “in tatters” after the latest revelations about Lord Peter Mandelson.

The Prime Minister told the Commons on Wednesday he was aware of the relationship between Lord Mandelson and the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein before his appointment as ambassador to the US, following the release of new information by the US Department of Justice.

The Metropolitan Police announced this week it had launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office after emails appeared to show the former minister passed government information to Epstein during the financial crash.

The Government was then forced to cede control of the release of documents relating to Lord Mandelson to Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee after facing a backlash from MPs led by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

Speaking to the Press Association on Thursday, John Swinney hit out at how Sir Keir has dealt with the scandal.

“The Prime Minister has been shown to have demonstrated the most appalling lack of judgment in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States,” he said.

The relationship between Lord Mandelson and Epstein “should have been a red flag at the time”, he added.

“I think that demonstrates a most shocking and appalling poor judgment by the Prime Minister and, as a consequence of that, I think the reputation of the Labour Government is in tatters.”

Mr Swinney announced on Wednesday that Scotland’s top civil servant had launched an audit of the Scottish Government’s dealings with Lord Mandelson during his time as a minister in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and in his ambassadorial role.

He said Sir Keir is under “enormous pressure” over the Lord Mandelson scandal, with the First Minister urging him to follow through on his commitment to publish the documents.

But he added: “I think the issue that will haunt the Prime Minister is his appalling lack of judgment in selecting Peter Mandelson to be the UK’s ambassador to the United States, and the damage that has done to the reputation of the Labour Government.”

Earlier on Thursday, senior UK Cabinet minister Steve Reed said the Prime Minister and chief of staff Morgan McSweeney are safe in their jobs, claiming they were not “at fault”, having been lied to by Lord Mandelson.

“You’re only as good as the information you receive,” Mr Reed said as he blamed the vetting process for failing to disprove Lord Mandelson’s claims his relationship with the convicted sex offender “was next to nothing”.