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said it is up to the government to decide which of the documents, relating to the ambassadorial appointment, should not be published, adding that the main bulk of papers should be published “very shortly”.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
If Keir Starmer does not sack his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney his position will become “untenable,” a Labour MP has warned.
Karl Turner, Labour MP for Hull East, told the BBC:
I don’t want the PM to go. What I want is the PM to make changes.
And I’m afraid if the prime minister doesn’t want to see the parliamentary party calm down and get completely behind him, then he keeps Morgan McSweeney.
My concern is that he’ll keep Morgan McSweeney, and PLP will kick off again and again and again to the point where it’s untenable for the PM.
The release of documents related to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador will not happen today, it has been reported.
Sky News understands the Metropolitan Police had requested that the government not publish any documents last night due to concerns it could impede the ongoing police investigation into Mandelson.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said this afternoon that the government is “committed to publishing documents relating to his appointment and not compromising the investigation”.
Updated
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.
So there was a lot of stuff that was known about the depth of that relationship.
And the prime minister trying to pretend all the way through he doesn’t really know Peter Mandelson, he didn’t really understand what relationship was. So it’s a very weak, late apology, not believable and not helping his position one little bit.
Updated
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.
When asked by reporters on Thursday whether Starmer can stay in his post until the Holyrood election in May, Sarwar replied: “Yes.”
On Mandelson, he said:
People will be absolutely furious.
Peter Mandelson has betrayed his country, he has betrayed the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, he has betrayed this country, and he has betrayed the party he once belonged to, and he should feel the full force of the law.
It is abundantly clear Peter Mandelson was not fit to be ambassador the US, he should not even have been considered for the job.
It’s an utter disgrace and he is a shame to our nation.
Updated
Starmer has 'full confidence' in McSweeney - No 10
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.
It comes as Downing Street said it was talking with the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) about the process of releasing documents related to Mandelson’s appointment.
The spokesperson said:
We have begun discussions with the ISC about the process for releasing these documents. When we’ve agreed a process with the ISC, the government will then update the house.
The government will take steps to ensure that document release does not compromise the Met’s investigation.
Palace of Westminster restoration could cost almost £40bn, MPs and peers hear
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 full decant would last 19 to 24 years and cost up to £15.6bn, while the other option would take 38 to 61 years and cost up to £39.2bn, with both figures including inflation.
MPs and peers have also been asked to agree to initial restoration works at the Houses of Parliament lasting seven years, at a cost of up to £3bn.
Updated
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”.
They added:
A failure of this magnitude does not happen by accident. It requires a system that elevates factional loyalty over integrity, that values connections over character and that treats rigorous vetting as an inconvenience.
Everyone who participated in this process - from those who championed the appointment, to those who turned a blind eye, to those who silenced doubts in the name of political convenience - must be held to account.
Criticising a “politics of deference and backroom patronage”, they called for an end to “a culture that fears internal challenge”.
They said:
While this is a systemic failure, those who designed and operated the system cannot evade consequence. True accountability means a total overhaul of personnel, of process and of the rotten priorities that brought us here. We will not settle for less.
Mandelson sought Epstein’s help in hunt for lucrative roles at Glencore and BP
Peter Mandelson began seeking advice from the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on how to land “highly paid” senior roles with companies including BP and Glencore within days of Labour’s 2010 electoral defeat, emails show.
A flurry of messages, sent in the weeks and months following the collapse of the New Labour project, reveal how Epstein mentored Mandelson as the former cabinet minister touted himself for lucrative jobs at global businesses.
The emails, released by the US justice department among 3m pages of files on Epstein, lay bare the money-spinning opportunities available to departing ministers.
Read more on this story here:
The PA news agency has reported comments by Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, who said he was “shocked” by the details of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, including claims that he sent market-sensitive information to the convicted sex offender while serving as business secretary.
“A year ago I had to give evidence in a legal case around this issue – it was my duty,” he said.
“I was having to push back on the lies we were being told consistently.
“I am shocked by what we heard at that time about the financial crisis period.
“We have to remember that the most important thing is the victims in all of this.”
Lib Dems call for no confidence vote in Starmer
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.
Keir Starmer should say ‘put up or shut up’. Let’s have a confidence vote now to see whether Labour MPs have any confidence in the prime minister, so the government can get past this one way or the other and start focusing on the change our country needs.
Reputation of Labour government 'in tatters' over Mandelson - Swinney
The reputation of Keir Starmer’s government is “in tatters” after the latest revelations about Peter Mandelson, according to Scottish first minister John Swinney.
Speaking to the PA news agency on Thursday, the SNP’s Swinney criticised Starmer for how the prime minister had dealt with the scandal.
“The prime minister has been shown to have demonstrated the most appalling lack of judgment in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States,” he said.
He added:
The relationship between Mandelson and Epstein “should have been a red flag at the time.
I think that demonstrates a most shocking and appalling poor judgment by the prime minister and, as a consequence of that, I think the reputation of the Labour government is in tatters.
A Labour MP has said the party should stick to its promise not to “perpetuate” Tory sleaze amid anger over the Mandelson scandal.
Stroud MP Simon Opher said that “the poor decision making of those around the prime minister is dominating the news agenda” and not achievements on the cost of living crisis, healthcare an education.
In a statement, Opher said:
Instead the government is rightly being held to account for reintroducing someone to high public office who should never have been there.
We were elected to deliver a Labour manifesto that was all about improving people’s lives. We promised to put trust back into politics after years of Tory sleaze - not perpetuate it. The publication of the correspondence around the appointment of Mandelson should obviously be as open as possible.
I’m glad the government have now agreed to an independent body to oversee the release of the correspondence. This is something I have been lobbying for heavily today - but we can, and must, be better than this.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said that Peter Mandelson’s actions were “completely unforgivable” and that it is right a police investigation has been launched.
She told MPs:
I withdrew Peter Mandelson from his role as ambassador to the United States. That was less than a week after being appointed as Foreign Secretary, and I’m clear that his actions were completely unforgivable.
And given that the heart of what Epstein did was the grave abuse and trafficking of women and girls, that makes this particularly disturbing.
And I would say something else as well, that I was the chief secretary [to the Treasury] at the height of the financial crisis, when what I saw was everybody busting a gut to rescue the savings and the livelihoods of ordinary people across this country, and the idea that a senior and experienced cabinet minister alongside us could instead be behaving the way that we have seen is truly shocking, and it is right that a police investigation is under way.
Her comments came after giving a statement on the war in Sudan, in which she talked about the sexual violence inflicted on women and children caught up in that conflict.
Kitty Donaldson, of The i Paper, is asking whether it would make any difference if Starmer was to sack Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
Badenoch says it would help “to some extent” and that the scandal is so serious that someone should to take responsibility for it.
She is asked whether there is anyone in the cabinet she admires as a follow-up question, to which Badenoch says:
Is there anyone in the cabinet that I admire..? No.
Some of them are better than others. I think that Shabana Mahmood is someone who shows she is better than her colleagues, I doubt they will ever let her have a go but I think she is at least honest about the problems the country is facing and doesn’t pander.
Updated
Labour 'are in office, but not in power', says Badenoch
Asked if she is “absolutely confident” there are no connections between senior Conservatives and Jeffrey Epstein, Badenoch says her name is not in the files and nor are any of her shadow cabinet “as far as I’m aware”.
She jokes:
I think we’re good, I think we’re good.
The Daily Express tees her up for her next response by asking whether the public should be more concerned over Mandelson’s appointment or Starmer’s lack of authority.
Badenoch says:
I think it’s both. That’s why I’m making that offer to Labour MPs: those of you that think this is untenable and many of them do, I saw their faces at prime minister’s questions.
They looked sick as they were listening to him confess that he always knew, they know that there is a problem.
As salacious as all these details may be … they are in office, but not in power.
Kemi Badenoch is asked about the prospect of Keir Starmer being ousted by his MPs and being replaced by the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
She responds in a bullish manner, quipping:
I’m not worried about Angela Rayner. I think I can deal with Angela Rayner.
Badenoch says it doesn’t matter who they pick as their next leader “because they will still be a Labour person”.
She says British people ought to be put at the “forefront of their minds” and that the country “is not crying out for socialism”.
Asked about whether political appointments to ambassadorial roles should be scrapped, Badenoch says some political appointments can work, “just don’t pick the best friend of a convicted paedophile who is still hanging out with afterwards”.
Badenoch says that she does not believe there will be a general election until 2029 but that Labour MPs have an opportunity to “do better’”.
She says:
Britain is not being governed, that is what this speech is about. We need a better government.
Labour was voted in with a huge majority, they have a majority of about 160 but they can’t get anything done. Something is wrong.
She adds:
If an general election is on the cards, we will take it because we know we would do a better job.
Badenoch says “this is about people’s lives” and that she is very worried about the “nonsensical legislation” going through the house.
Asked by GB News whether Starmer’s apology earlier this morning would “cut it”, Badenoch says “not in the slightest”.
She says she forced the prime minister to “make a confession yesterday and he is backtracking now because he is a coward”.
The Tory leader adds:
The fact is he saw security vetting that every single person in this room would have realised made Mandelson unsuitable but he went ahead and appointed him because he thought he was being clever.
We all saw that press conference where they were calling him ‘our Peter’, ‘to us, he’s just Peter’.
They thought they could get away with it and now it’s all come out.
Badenoch: Starmer 'ignored security advice' over Mandelson appointment
And now it is the turn of Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to give a press conference. She is speaking in central London.
Of course, she opens up with an attack on the prime minister for his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal.
She says:
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.
Badenoch turns her ire on Nigel Farage’s Reform UK next, mocking his unveiling of a new Welsh leader “after the last one was sent to prison in November for taking bribes from Russia”.
She says a Reform government would mean more drama and incompetence.
Updated
Asked why, as a lawyer, he believed Mandelson when he downplayed the extent of his friendship with Epstein, Starmer says he had no reason to believe he was telling lies.
He says:
What we learnt this week is the further deceit that has been carried out in relation to government secrets that were released during the course of the recovery of the 2008 crash.
Responding to a question from The Guardian’s Kiran Stacey about the deluge of criticism he has received from Labour MPs, Starmer says:
Look, I understand the anger and frustration amongst the Labour MPs about what has happened; the deceit both in the appointment of Mandelson as ambassador and what happened at the tail-end of the last Labour government.
I actually share that frustration. It was palpable yesterday. I’m not surprised.
When asked by The i Paper whether his message to his own MPs sceptical about his leadership is that removing him would make a Reform government more likely, Starmer responded:
My message is that every minute we spend talking about anything other than the cost of living, Pride in Place, how we stabilise our economy … that we must unite this country, understand that to be British is to be tolerant, reasonable, compassionate and diverse, and fight for it against the toxic division of Reform, every minute we spend not talking and focusing on that is an absolute minute wasted.
Updated
Starmer has just been asked explicitly whether he would contest a leadership challenge within his party.
Responding to ITV’s Robert Peston, the prime minister says he was elected in 2024 “to change the country for the better, and that is what we are doing”.
He references inflation coming down, interest rates being cut six times and the government’s work to lift 500,000 children out of poverty.
He adds:
Am I frustrated that the focus is not on that and on other things because of the misbehaviour and deceit of other people? Of course I am.
I was lied to, I was lied to. Deceit.
Starmer says he is angry and frustrated that it will be the Mandelson scandal on tomorrow’s front pages rather than the Pride in Place programme.
Asked by Sky’s Beth Rigby about the anger among Labour MPs over the scandal, Starmer says he understands their frustration.
He adds that he had hoped to be able to provide information about what Mandelson had been asked and answered at the time of his appointment at PMQs.
He says:
Nobody wants to see these deceits in public life. They are angry about his association with Epstein, as am I.
They’re angry about what he did at the tail-end of the last Labour government and frustrated – as am I – that the full information of what was asked and answered when he was appointed cannot be in the public domain.
That is frustrating as I had hoped to deploy some of that at PMQs yesterday as I wanted people to see what had been said.
Starmer is now taking questions and tells the BBC’s Chris Mason that he regrets the decision to have appointed Mandelson as an ambassador.
He said: “What I meant was it has been known publicly for some time that they knew each other and that is precisely why … we asked questions about the nature and extent of that relationship.
“What I didn’t say yesterday – partly inhibited by the approach of the police – is that is precisely why those questions were asked.”
He added: “I regret making the decision to have appointed him in the first place. Had I known at the time what I know now, or I knew in September, I’d have never done it.”
Questioned about his own future as prime minister, he says: “We’re moving forward as a country.”
Updated
Starmer: 'I understand the strength of public feeling'
Starmer said he wanted to release the files relating to his appointment of Mandelson yesterday and to talk about it at PMQs, but police advised that doing so could risk prejudicing a future investigation or legal process.
He said:
I understand the strength of public feeling, I share the anger that people feel when powerful individuals appear to escape scrutiny. I want to be able to release those documents as quickly as possible.
He later added that the issue is not, and should never become, a “political football”.
Updated
Starmer: 'Mandelson portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew'
Starmer spoke more about what Mandelson told him before he was appointed as US ambassador:
Before he was appointed ambassador, Mandelson was asked directly about the nature of his relationship with Epstein. He was asked whether he had stayed at Epstein’s after his conviction, and when, later, further information came to light, he was asked whether he had accepted gifts and hospitality, about whether he had been fully transparent about the relationship. The information now available makes clear that the answers he gave were lies.
He portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew, and when it became clear that it was not true, I sacked him.
Updated
Starmer: 'None of us knew depth and darkness of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein'
Starmer has addressed the fallout from the Epstein scandal during a speech this morning in Hastings, East Sussex. He said that while Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was publicly known, “none of us knew the depth and darkness” of it.
He said:
Serious allegations and serious evidence has emerged concerning Mandelson’s conduct, including his relationship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender. It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth or the darkness of that relationship. Information that was not known at the time of his appointment [as US ambassador].
He apologised to Epstein’s victims, saying:
“I want to say this. 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.
Updated
Starmer about to take questions following speech in East Sussex
Prime minister Keir Starmer will be taking questions imminently following a speech he is giving this morning in Hastings, East Sussex.
He is talking about the government’s Pride in Place programme but I suspect the vast majority of questions will be about Mandeleson.
Stay tuned as we bring you the top news lines…
Updated
Karl Turner, the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull East, said the mood among backbenchers was the angriest he’d seen in 16 years and that Starmer had to sack McSweeney as chief of staff in order to survive the fury of his party.
He told Times Radio:
If the prime minister decides that he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice, I think the reality of that will end in the prime minister having to be making a decision about his future at some point soon.
I don’t want to be telling the PM who he’s entitled to have an as adviser … If McSweeney continues in No 10 Downing Street, I think the PM is up against it in a way that he doesn’t need to be.
Updated
How much did Starmer really know about Mandelson’s ties to Epstein?
After the release of a vast tranche of documents and emails that shed further light on the close relationship between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein, the government has come under intense pressure to release details about its vetting process before Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador in December 2024.
Below, we look at how much Keir Starmer knew about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, and what vetting process the former peer went through for the top diplomatic job in Washington.
Back to that Reform UK press conference in Newport, Wales, for a moment.
The Welsh-born former London council leader Dan Thomas has been unveiled by Nigel Farage as the leader of Reform UK in Wales ahead of the Senedd elections in May.
Thomas, who grew up in Wales, was the Conservative leader of Barnet Council from 2019 to 2022 but joined Reform UK last year.
He quit as a councillor for Finchley Church End in December after returning to Wales with his family.
Meanwhile, the former Conservative James Evans has been unveiled as the latest defector to Reform UK.
The current Senedd member for Brecon and Radnorshire was sacked by the Tories last month over suspicions he was planning to defect to Nigel Farage’s party and has since sat as an independent.
Mandelson files will be published even if embarrassing to No 10, says ISC chair
A parliamentary committee looking into the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador and the depth of his relationship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will not be afraid to publish material that is embarrassing to the government, its chair has said.
Lord Beamish, who leads parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC), said there had to be “maximum transparency” about the vetting process Mandelson went through before he was appointed ambassador to the US in December 2024 and what the government knew about his friendship with Epstein.
The ISC, which has statutory responsibility for oversight of the UK’s intelligence services will assess whether documents should not be released because they compromise national security, rather than jeopardising international relations, the Labour peer told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight.
Beamish said it was possible the committee could publish documents that impacted international relations. “In the past, for example, we’ve had disputes where things have potentially been embarrassing to governments, but we’ve put them in because it doesn’t jeopardise national security,” he said.
John McDonnell has added his voice to the growing dissent among Labour MPs, as he questioned why senior party figures did not challenge Starmer at the time of Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
“Why weren’t they standing up, speaking out? This is about more than Keir’s judgment, it’s a collective failure of all Labour leadership,” McDonnell, who was shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn, posted on X.
“I believe Keir is a responsible person and will want to consider whether in the interests of the country and party he should continue as PM. But simply replacing him with someone who stayed silent at the critical time won’t restore confidence in the party or politics.”
The Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington suggested for a caretaker leader to be appointed for a limited time period “to undertake a cleansing of our party and politics before we elect a new leader”.
Farage: Mandelson scandal 'the biggest in British politics for over a century'
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says the scandal involving Peter Mandelson and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is “the biggest scandal in British politics for over one century”.
Speaking at an event at the International Convention Centre Wales in Newport, Farage said:
It isn’t just some sort of Partygate but a bit bigger.
This involves sex, it involves money, it involves the royal family. It involves the leaking of market sensitive, confidential information.
I suspect its pretty close, in many ways, to breaching the Official Secrets Act. This is far bigger than the Profumo scandal 60 years ago. This is the biggest scandal in British politics for over one century.
Farage also said he believed Morgan McSweeney, the chief of staff for prime minister Keir Starmer, would be “gone pretty quickly”.
“I don’t know how long Starmer will last as PM,” he said. “Indeed, I’m very worried about it. I want him to stay forever.”
Sacking Downing Street chief of staff Morgan McSweeney would not help the prime minister, according to Keir Starmer’s former director of strategic communications.
James Lyons, who left No 10 in September, told Sky News this morning:
In every administration there are figures who are lightning rods for criticism. That is definitely one of the many roles that Morgan plays at the moment.
But it’s unclear to me how it would help the prime minister if he lost Morgan. At a time like this, when you’re in this kind of spot, you want your most capable and most loyal aides around you.
McSweeney is perceived to have been close to Mandelson and a key ally in his successful bid to become the UK’s ambassador to the United States.
Meanwhile, Reed blamed the vetting process for failing to flag up the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein before his appointment to the US ambassadorship.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
The fault is with a long-established process that was gone through in the same way that it would have been for any other appointment of this kind, and it predates the arrival of this government.
Clearly, we need to look at that vetting process. But decisions can only be taken on the basis of the information available at the time, and Mandelson lied and covered up the extent of his relationship.
He made out the relationship was over and that it had barely ever existed.
We now know that was not the case, but the decision was taken at the time on the basis of Mandelson’s experience as the former EU trade commissioner and UK business secretary. This information, had it have been known, would have ruled him out completely.
Earlier this morning, Reed told Sky News that the revelations about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein had felt like he had “been punched in the stomach”.
Keir Starmer believed Peter Mandelson when he made out his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein “was next to nothing,” Steve Reed went on to say.
“You’re only as good as the information you receive,” the cabinet minister told LBC Radio. “Mandelson made out that relationship barely existed, that they hardly knew each other.
“There was a vetting process that included the security forces as well, and they flagged up no additional concerns... a liar is going to lie.”
Reed said the government wants to publish documents that show “what the prime minister saw when Peter Mandelson lied to him” before his appointment as ambassador to Washington “as quickly as possible”.
“We need to look at the documents that will show the extent to which Peter Mandelson was lying,” he said.
'Of course' Starmer and McSweeney are safe in their jobs, says Reed
The prime minister and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney are safe in their jobs, Steve Reed insisted.
Asked whether Keir Starmer’s position is secure, the housing secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Of course it is.”
On Sky News, he was pressed on whether McSweeney is safe in his role, after being blamed by many Labour MPs for pushing for the appointment of his ally Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US in 2024.
Reed answered: “Yes, of course he is.”
Mandelson 'conned everybody' including Keir Starmer, says housing secretary
Hello and welcome to the UK politics blog.
After fierce criticism of in the Commons last night over the Peter Mandelson scandal, the prime minister’s housing secretary has been out defending Keir Starmer in the media this morning.
Steve Reed, a Starmer loyalist, insisted that Mandelson “conned everybody” over his ongoing relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
He told Sky News:
The person at fault here is not the prime minister or his team.
It is Peter Mandelson who lied, manipulated and deceived everybody, including the media, actually, because he was on the media an awful lot as well. He conned everybody.
What matters is what you do when you find out what’s gone wrong. And the prime minister couldn’t have been more decisive. He sacked Peter Mandelson at 5am in the morning as US ambassador months ago.
It comes as Labour MPs warned last night that Starmer’s days are numbered. The government was left on the brink of a defeat in the Commons until a mid-debate amendment brokered by Meg Hillier and Angela Rayner to force the release of documents about Mandelson’s appointment and the depth of his relationship with the convicted child sex offender.
MPs said the eventual release of the documents – which may be delayed by a police investigation into Mandelson – could trigger a leadership challenge. “We need all the poison to come out,” one MP said.
One former minister said: “We’ve had a lot of bad days recently, but this is the worst yet, I think,” while another MP warned: “Trust is finite. I’m personally not sure I could trust myself to back the prime minister in a confidence vote.”
“The most terminal mood is among the super-loyal,” an MP from the 2024 intake noted.
