Starmer Faces Heat Over Mandelson Ambassador Scandal

0:00It's April 21st. Welcome to Calgary News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. A fired UK Foreign Ministry official is pointing fingers at Prime Minister Kier Starmer's office for pushing hard to appoint Peter Mandelson as the new U.S. Ambassador, despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Olly Robbins, who got the boot last week, says there was non-stop pressure from Downing Street to get Mandelson in place fast. After already admitted, he messed up by picking the labor veteran for the top diplomatic job. He claims his team never told him a security betting group warned against it, saying it was borderline and leaning no-go. Critics are piling on, with some calling for Starmer to step down after his party's huge election win last year. Labor lawmakers worry this scandal highlights a bunker mindset in his operation, making access tough. Robbins testified to Parliament that his office faced constant calls and chases through January 2025, with a strong push to rush the process.

1:01This back and forth keeps the heat on Starmer, as local elections loom in England, Wales and Scotland testing his grip amid the fallout.