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Embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that he regrets appointing Labour politician Peter Mandelson as the UK envoy to Washington, aiming to ease tensions over a scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate.
Starmer, already unpopular with the public and many Labour MPs, is struggling to handle a controversy that threatens his leadership. Speaking to Parliament about the escalating political dispute, he admitted, “At the core of this, I also made a wrong judgment. I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson.”
Last week, calls for Starmer’s resignation intensified after it was revealed that Mandelson—whose longstanding friendship with the late convicted American sex offender was well known—had become Britain’s representative to Washington the previous year despite failing security screenings. Starmer asserted that neither he nor other ministers were informed until last week that Mandelson had not passed independent vetting.
“It’s hard to believe that, throughout the entire timeline, officials at the Foreign Office chose to withhold this information from our top ministers,” Starmer told lawmakers. “If I had known before his appointment that the clearance recommendation was to deny developed vetting, I wouldn’t have proceeded with his appointment.”
Last Thursday, Starmer dismissed Olly Robins, the senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, announcing an investigation into the security vetting process. However, former civil servants accused Starmer of scapegoating Robins, who is expected to provide his own account to a parliamentary oversight committee Tuesday.
Opposition figures have called for Starmer’s resignation, accusing him of everything from incompetence to deliberately misleading Parliament and the public. Despite claims from his office that proper procedures were followed when Mandelson was vetted and cleared, opposition critics argue there was government overreach that Starmer was unaware of.
On Friday, Downing Street issued a rare memo stating Starmer only learned of the vetting failure last Tuesday. So far, most senior ministers have expressed support for him. Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander remarked, “A decision was made that the Trump administration was unconventional, and an unconventional ambassador could serve Britain’s interests. That decision was wrong, and the prime minister accepts it.”
Some ministers argue that Starmer should stay in office despite the controversy, especially given the ongoing global turmoil caused by the Middle East conflict and efforts to strengthen ties with the European Union. Still, polling indicates that Starmer is among the least popular prime ministers in Britain’s history.
Retired dentist Andrews Connell, 59, told AFP that if Starmer knew about the vetting failure, “then he has to resign.” Conversely, pensioner Lyndia Shaw, 73, said Starmer is “completely hopeless,” and believes Mandelson should face the full extent of the law. On the other hand, Duncan Moss, 67, argued that he is doing a good job and is a responsible, experienced leader.
Mandelson was dismissed in September 2025, seven months after taking the Washington post, amid revelations about his connections to Epstein—a figure who died in a U.S. prison in 2019 while facing sex-trafficking charges. UK authorities are currently examining allegations of misconduct from Mandelson’s time as a Labour minister over 15 years ago; he was arrested and released in February but has denied any criminal activity.
Looking ahead, Starmer and his Labour Party face difficult local elections next month, including contests in Scotland and Wales.
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