ap/dpa | British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refuses to resign over his appointment of Peter Mandelson, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador. “I am not prepared to give up my mandate and my responsibility to my country,” Starmer said at a meeting with members of his Labor Party in Parliament on Monday. “Every fight I’ve ever been in, I’ve won,” he said.
Starmer’s government is in crisisafter revelations about the man he appointed as ambassador to Washington Mandelson and his friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein has given. That’s why Starmer’s standing within his party is also affected. Some Labor MPs have called for Starmer’s resignation, accusing him of poor judgment over giving the ambassadorship to Mandelson in 2024.
The head of the Labor Party in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, said on Monday that there had been “too many mistakes”. A change of government in London is necessary. Starmer’s communications chief Tim Allan and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney have already resigned. McSweeney said he advised Starmer to appoint Mandelson. He takes “full responsibility” for this.
Support for Starmer from senior government officials
After Sarwar’s statement, Starmer’s senior colleagues supported him. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy told X: “We should not allow anything to distract us from our mission to transform Britain and we support the Prime Minister in doing that.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a post that Starmer’s leadership was needed “at this critical time for the world, not just domestically but also on the global stage.”
Starmer had appointed Mandelson as British ambassador to the USA, although it was known that he had contacts with Epstein. He fired Mandelson in September after emails were published that revealed the former business minister maintained a friendship with Epstein even after the financier was convicted in 2008.
“One bad decision after another”
Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Starmer of “making one bad decision after another”. He could no longer remain in office. MPs supporting Starmer said his speech to dozens of Labor MPs on Monday evening was well received. “Of course there were tough moments,” Rep. Chris Curtis said. But Starmer turned the atmosphere in his own favor.
Starmer has apologized for believing what he described as “Mandelson’s lies”. He promised to release documents related to Mandelson’s appointment that would show that Mandelson misled authorities about his ties to Epstein. However, publication could take several weeks.
Police are investigating Mandelson for possible misconduct in public office because documents suggest he passed sensitive government information to Epstein a decade and a half ago. Mandelson has not been arrested or charged and is not facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
Replacement of prime minister does not require a parliamentary election
In Great Britain, prime ministers can also be replaced without a prior general election. Should Starmer be challenged within his party or resign, there would be an election for the Labor leadership. The election winner would then get the prime ministership.
The Conservatives had three different prime ministers between 2019 and 2024, including Liz Truss, who was in office for just 49 days. Labor MP Clive Efford warned Starmer’s critics of the consequences of a change at the top. “I don’t think people liked the prime ministerial changes when the Tories were in power,” Efford told the BBC.
Has Andrew committed a criminal offense?
Meanwhile, ex-Prince Andrew’s once close relationship with sex offender Epstein is becoming increasingly stressful for the royals. After the Epstein files new allegations against Andrew had come to lightannounced King Charles III. According to a statement from the palace, he said he would support the police in any investigations against his brother.
Police are also interested in the relationship between Epstein and ex-Prince Andrew. The Windsor Police Department said it was investigating allegations that Andrew may have passed confidential documents to Epstein in his previous role as a trade representative. British media had discovered emails in the Epstein files that suggested that Andrew forwarded reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore to the sex offender. It was initially unclear whether Andrew could have committed a crime himself.
Buckingham Palace did not want to wait for an official investigation to begin. The king has already made his deep concern about the allegations regarding his brother’s behavior clear through words and unprecedented action, a palace spokesman said in a statement in the evening.
He added: “The specific allegations are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to clarify. Should Thames Valley Police contact us, we stand ready to support them as they should.” The royal couple’s thoughts and sympathies are always with the victims of any abuse, the statement continued.
Andrew has lost all honors, military ranks and titles because of his alleged involvement in the Epstein abuse scandal. Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre had accused Andrew of abusing her several times, including when she was a minor. He always denied all allegations, but Giuffre’s civil lawsuit ended in a settlement. Finally, Charles even stripped him of the title “Prince” he had acquired through birth. His name is now just Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He also had to move out of the luxurious Royal Lodge property on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
William and Kate also comment on the Epstein scandal
As Charles visited the northwestern English county of Lancashire on Monday, a man called out to him: “How long did you know about Andrew?” It was the king’s second public appearance that was disrupted by a heckler on the subject.
Prince William and Princess Kate took a public stance on the matter for the first time. “I can confirm that the prince and princess are deeply concerned about the ongoing revelations,” a spokesman for the heir to the throne said, according to several media reports. “Your thoughts continue to be with the victims,” it continued.