Closing summary
Thanks for following along with the UK politics live blog today. That’s all from me, Tom Ambrose, and my colleague Taz Ali for today.
Here is a round-up of all the top news lines:
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 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.
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,” he said. “They have seen accountability delayed and too often denied to them.”
Keir Starmer has full confidence in his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, Downing Street has said. There have been calls by backbenchers for the sacking of McSweeney, whom many blame for his ally Peter Mandelson’s appointment to the ambassadorship. Asked if the prime minister agreed with calls for his chief of staff to be sacked, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “It’s full confidence.”
The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has written to Keir Starmer to set out its expectations ahead of the release of the Mandelson documents. In a communication from Lord Beamish and Jeremy Wright, the committee said it is up to the government to decide which of the documents, relating to the ambassadorial appointment, should not be published, adding that the main bulk of papers should be published “very shortly”.
Labour pressure group Mainstream has called for a “total overhaul of personnel” in Downing Street amid the fallout from the Peter Mandelson scandal. The group’s interim council, which includes MP Alex Sobel, said his appointment was “the direct result of a corrosive political culture that must be torn out by its roots”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch attacked the prime minister for his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal at a press conference in central London today. She said: “What he should apologise for is ignoring security advice and vetting that showed him Mandelson should never have been appointed in the first place. But, ladies and gentlemen, you will notice he cannot bring himself to do that because his self-righteousness is his greatest weakness.”
Keir Starmer should face a no confidence vote, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has said in response to the controversy surrounding Peter Mandelson. The Liberal Democrats leader said: “The British people can’t afford for this Labour soap opera to drag on for months or even years, like the Conservative Party did with Boris Johnson. We need a government totally focused on ending the cost-of-living crisis, fixing the NHS and care, and getting our economy growing again.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has described Keir Starmer’s apology as “weak” and “not quite believable”. Speaking on the campaign trail in the Gorton and Denton by-election, he said: “I mean, all the evidence that we’ve seen over the course of the last 24 hours, indicates he was briefed, he knew that not only had Peter Mandelson maintained a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after his prison sentence for under age prostitution, he knew that actually he’d stayed with him.”
Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has come out in support of the prime minister, saying Starmer should keep his job but that he should never have considered Mandelson for the US ambassador role. Sarwar described Mandelson as “a shame to our nation”. He had previously referred to Mandelson as an “old friend” when he was given the top diplomatic job in Washington last year.
The restoration of the Palace of Westminster could cost up to £40bn, MPs and peers have been told this afternoon. The restoration and renewal client board has put forward two options: one for a ‘full decant’, which would see both houses move out of the building while works take place and another where the palace would be worked on in stages.
The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has written to Keir Starmer to set out its expectations ahead of the release of the Mandelson documents.
In a communication from Lord Beamish and Jeremy Wright, the committee said it is up to the government to decide which of the documents, relating to the ambassadorial appointment, should not be published.
The letter reads:
It is our clear understanding that it is for the government to determine which of the documents in scope of the motion should not be publicly disclosed because, in the government’s view, their disclosure would prejudice national security.
The ISC said that it understands the cabinet secretary, Chris Wormald, will be asked to carry out that task on the government’s behalf.
It added that it expects the government to release the papers that it deems acceptable for publication “very shortly”.
Updated
