Starmer Faces Backlash for Mandelson Appointment Amid Epstein Controversy

Fri Feb 06 2026 01:10:19 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer publicly apologizes to Jeffrey Epstein victims, admitting to believing in Lord Mandelson's false assurances regarding their relationship. Starmer's handling of the situation draws criticism as calls for his resignation grow.

In a recent speech, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer apologized to victims of Jeffrey Epstein, acknowledging he was misled by Lord Mandelson, whom he appointed as ambassador to the US. Starmer's admission comes amidst mounting pressure and calls from both Conservative and Labour MPs for him to resign, as the depth of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein comes to light. The political fallout continues to unfold as demands for accountability intensify.

Sir Keir Starmer has apologised to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for believing Lord Mandelson's lies and appointing him as the UK's ambassador to the US.

The prime minister began a planned speech on funding to improve local communities by addressing the growing anger over how he had dealt with the issue.

While he acknowledged it had been publicly known for some time that Lord Mandelson knew Epstein, he said: None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship.

However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the PM's position was untenable, while the Liberal Democrats called for a confidence vote to see if Labour MPs supported him.

The prime minister is facing calls from some of his own MPs to stand down.

While the handful of backbenchers to do so publicly are frequent critics of the PM, many more have raised concerns privately.

Sir Keir's former political director Luke Sullivan said he thought the PM was fighting for his premiership.

Seeking to defuse the row in a speech earlier, Sir Keir said he regretted appointing Lord Mandelson and would not have done so if he had known what he knows now.

Directly addressing Epstein's victims, he said: I am sorry, sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you. 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.

Sir Keir has promised to release files, which he says will prove Lord Mandelson lied about the extent of his friendship with Epstein when he was being vetted for the US ambassador role.

After a Commons vote, the government is expected to pass documents related to the controversy, under scrutiny for their potential impact on national security and diplomatic relations.

At the time of Mandelson's appointment in December 2024, it was known he had maintained a friendship with Epstein after the latter's conviction for soliciting sex from a minor.

Emails reportedly reveal that Epstein made payments to Mandelson, raising further questions about their relationship and Mandelson's role as diplomatic envoy.

Following growing dissatisfaction, pressure mounted on Starmer as leading Labour MPs and others expressed their lack of confidence in his leadership.

Challenged after his speech over whether he should stand down as PM, Sir Keir said he understood the anger and frustration amongst Labour MPs over Lord Mandelson.

However, he added: I was elected on a mandate in 2024 to change the country for the better... that's what I intend to do.