Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has expressed her "anger" regarding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington DC, stating he "should never have been appointed".
Her comments come amid a period of significant internal scrutiny for the Labour government, with senior figures questioning a perceived "boys' club" culture within No 10.
The senior Cabinet minister’s remarks follow a series of controversies that have reportedly "rocked" the Prime Minister’s authority.
These include the appointments of Lord Mandelson and Lord Matthew Doyle, both associated with sex offenders, alongside three departures from Downing Street and a call for the Prime Minister to resign from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Cooper directly addressed suggestions of a problematic culture. "I do actually feel, I mean, I feel really actually quite angry about some of the issues that we’ve had around, look, Peter Mandelson should never have been appointed," she said. "We have had, obviously, debates in Westminster, but actually the real focus should be on (Jeffrey) Epstein’s victims, and also the work that this Labour Government has been doing to tackle violence against women and girls."
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, used his platform at the Munich Security Conference to address domestic challenges, insisting he "ended the week much stronger" than he began it. He also affirmed to The Sun On Sunday his intention to lead Labour into the next general election, despite internal calls for him to step aside.
During his speech at the international gathering, Sir Keir launched a pointed attack on the defence credentials of the Green Party and Reform UK.
He warned that "the lamps would go out across Europe once again" should either party gain power, a statement made as both parties contest Labour’s majority in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
When questioned on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips about whether these attacks on political rivals indicated he was "rattled" by their popularity in opinion polls, Ms Cooper dismissed the notion. "I don’t think that’s the case at all," the Foreign Secretary responded.
"The partnerships that Keir Starmer has built with other leaders, the work that we are doing together, is immensely important. That’s what I see here at the Munich Security Conference, is the respect towards the UK, towards the Prime Minister for the work that he’s done, the leadership he’s shown."
