British life-style: Starmer apologises to Epstein victims as he seeks to weather Mandelson scandal

Here he is, the “hero of the Epstein dossier” – Peter Mandelson. Starmer appointed him as British ambassador to the US in February last year.
Photo: PA Images/Alamy Live News

Keir Starmer has attempted to reboot his faltering premiership, apologising for appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador and urging his MPs to unite behind him, ‘The Guardian’ writes.

The prime minister gave a lengthy speech on Wednesday about community cohesion, but faced a barrage of questions about his leadership after one of his most turbulent days since entering Downing Street.

With his authority over the Labour party and the Commons looking shakier than ever, the prime minister insisted he understood MPs’ concerns and issued a frank apology to victims of Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer said he regretted appointing Mandelson in Washington given his relationship with the financier and convicted child sex offender, about which he said the Labour peer had repeatedly lied.

“The victims of Epstein have lived with trauma that most of us could barely comprehend, and they have to relive it again and again. They have seen accountability delayed and too often denied to them.

“I want to say this. I am sorry – sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed, sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him, and sorry that even now you’re forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.”

Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson in the first place, coupled with what many MPs see as his mishandling of the aftermath, has prompted several of them to call for the sacking of his most senior adviser Morgan McSweeney, or his own resignation.

“It’s like Chris Pincher on steroids,” one MP said on Wednesday, referring to the scandal that eventually brought down Boris Johnson. A former minister added: “We were meant to be the ones who didn’t do this stuff. It’s time for a fresh start, the sooner the better.”

Referring to recent documents that appear to show Mandelson sharing sensitive government information with Epstein while he was a minister in Gordon Brown’s government, Starmer added: “They’re angry about what he did at the tail end of the last Labour government.”

According to those present, Starmer's hands were shaking with excitement. He understands he could become the victim of this scandal.

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