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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Jill Lawless

Senior British official resigns over Mandelson appointment, but Starmer insists he won't go

Britain Politics - (2026 Getty Images)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has no plans to resign over revelations that his scandal-tainted pick for U.K. ambassador to Washington was appointed despite failing security checks, officials said Friday.

Starmer says he was unaware that the Foreign Office had overruled the recommendation of security officials in early 2025 not to give Peter Mandelson the job. Many considered Mandelson a risky appointment because of his past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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