British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attacked former US ambassador Peter Mandelson on Thursday, saying he regretted believing his “lies” before appointing him.
Starmer is under enormous pressure, including from MPs in his own Labor Party, over his decision to appoint Mandelson as British envoy to Washington in December 2024, when his ties to the country were already known.
Documents released by the US Department of Justice last week include emails that highlight the closeness of that relationship and also suggest that , and that Epstein recorded payments to Mandelson or her then-partner, now husband.
“It has been public knowledge for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us were aware of the depth and obscurity of that relationship,” Starmer said at the start of a speech in southern England.
Mandelson, who was a government minister when the Labor Party was in power more than 15 years ago, resigned from his position in parliament’s upper house, the House of Lords, on Tuesday due to links to Epstein, and is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct in office.
He said he did not remember receiving payments and has not publicly commented on allegations that he leaked documents. He did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Starmer’s opponents, and even members of his own party, said the revelations raised serious doubts about his judgment. With polls indicating that Starmer is already extremely unpopular with the British public, some in his own party say his position is under threat.
“I want to say this (at ): I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what was done to you, I’m sorry that so many people in positions of power failed you, I’m sorry that I believed Mandelson’s lies and that I appointed him,” he said.
Starmer said he wanted to publicize the investigative recommendations he received when he selected Mandelson for the Washington job, but said he needed to comply with a police request not to do anything that could harm the investigation.
