Starmer's Mandelson Appointment Under Scrutiny

0:00On March 12, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under fire for his choice of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States. Last year, Mandelson served just seven months before getting sacked over his past ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The government recently released vetting files from that process, sparking fresh questions about what Starmer knew beforehand. Those documents show Starmer got clear warnings of how Mandelson's close friendship with Epstein, including a stay at Epstein's home back in two. 2009, while he was behind bars for sex crimes. Officials also flagged risks for Mandelson's links to a group started by Epstein's associate Glein Maxwell. Harriet Harmon, the former labor deputy leader, says the opposition will scour the files for any mismatch between Starmer statements to Parliament and the facts there. She warns that inconsistency could mean he misled lawmakers much like her past probe into Boris Johnson's scandals. Harmon slammed the appointment outright, calling Mandelson untrustworthy after prior firings and predicting trouble from the start.

1:06The files backed that up, noting advice against picking a political figure and highlighting reputational dangers to the Prime Minister. As scrutiny builds, these revelations keep the pressure on Starmer's judgment with calls growing for full accountability on the handling of such a high-profile role.