Sir Keir Starmer has acknowledged that he was “wrong” in his judgment to appoint Peter Mandelson as the U.S. ambassador during a recent showdown in the House of Commons regarding the controversy.
The Prime Minister provided additional details about the appointment process after it was revealed that Lord Mandelson, who had a close relationship with the convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein, had failed security vetting.
Starmer told MPs in the Commons: “I want to be very clear with the House that while this statement will focus on the process surrounding Peter Mandelson’s vetting and appointment, I must also address a judgment I made that was wrong.
“I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson. I take responsibility for that decision. I apologise once again to the victims of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who were clearly failed by my decision.”
The scandal has intensified calls for Starmer to resign, not only from opposition parties but also from critics within the Labour movement, who fear potential electoral losses in the local elections scheduled for May.
The Prime Minister has faced accusations of misleading Parliament after telling MPs that the proper process had been followed in appointing Lord Mandelson, insisting that he had been unaware that security experts had flagged the peer.
Last week, the Foreign Office’s top official, Sir Olly Robbins, was effectively dismissed by Sir Keir after it emerged that Lord Mandelson had been granted developed vetting (DV) status despite failing the security clearance checks.
The Prime Minister’s defence placed the blame on officials for failing to inform him or the then Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, that UK Security Vetting (UKSV) had not cleared the peer.
Lord Mandelson was dismissed last year, just nine months into his posting in Washington, D.C., after further details of his association with Epstein came to light. This relationship was widely known before his appointment.
Whitehall veteran Sir Olly is expected to present his account of the events to MPs on Tuesday at the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said on Monday that he expected Sir Keir to survive and lead Labour into the next general election, adding, “but there are no certainties” in politics.
He also defended the decision to dismiss Sir Olly, stating to Times Radio: “The reality is that there is a growing body of evidence, including from allies and friends of Olly Robbins, who accept that he did not share that information with the Prime Minister.
“Now, there is disagreement over why he didn’t share that information, but the central charge against the Prime Minister—that he knowingly misled the public or Parliament—now depends on the existence of a growing conspiracy among every minister involved in this process, not just the Prime Minister.
“A growing number of senior civil servants all agree that Olly Robbins did not share that information with the Prime Minister.”
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