Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he nonetheless has confidence in Peter Mandelson because the diplomat’s relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein confronted new scrutiny.
Lord Mandelson, the UK ambassador to the US, confronted questions on Tuesday after it emerged he had referred to Epstein as his “finest pal” in a birthday message he wrote for the convicted intercourse offender in 2003.
Additional allegations have been made by The Telegraph in a single day, claiming Epstein had brokered a take care of Lord Mandelson over the £1bn sale of a UK taxpayer-owned banking enterprise in 2010. This was reportedly negotiated whereas Lord Mandelson was the enterprise secretary, and solely months after Epstein had been launched from jail.
Peter Mandelson. Pic: Reuters
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There have been additionally claims that Lord Mandelson stayed in Epstein’s New York dwelling whereas he was in jail for soliciting a minor in 2008/9.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative chief, has known as for Lord Mandelson to lose his job within the wake of the allegations, claiming his place has develop into “untenable”.
Throughout Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Ms Badenoch requested Sir Keir whether or not he has confidence within the ambassador.
The prime minister insisted that he does, saying Lord Mandelson is “enjoying an essential function within the UK-US relationship”.
From Could: Mandelson – ‘I want I by no means met Epstein’
Referring to Epstein, the prime minister mentioned: “He was a despicable felony who dedicated probably the most heinous crimes and destroyed the lives of so many ladies and women.
“The ambassador has repeatedly expressed his deep remorse for his affiliation with him. He is proper to take action.”
Sir Keir additionally claimed that “full due course of” was adopted within the appointment of Lord Mandelson “as can be anticipated”.
In an interview with The Solar, Lord Mandelson mentioned he regrets “very a lot that I fell for his lies… and accepted assurances he had given me about his indictment”, which noticed Epstein jailed in 2008.
Lord Mandelson mentioned: “He is a charismatic, felony liar we now see, and I remorse very a lot certainly.
“I felt it like an albatross round my neck since his demise in 2018 or 2019, every time it was. I really feel an incredible sense of remorse.”
Jeffrey Epstein. File pic: New York State Intercourse Offender Registry by way of AP
This remorse, the diplomat mentioned, just isn’t solely that he met Epstein within the first place, however that he “continued that affiliation” and took at “face worth the lies that he fed me”.
Lord Mandelson went on to recommend there are additional e mail exchanges between himself and Epstein that “we all know are going to floor”. Nonetheless, he mentioned he doesn’t imagine he’s named within the Epstein recordsdata.
The diplomat mentioned: “We all know they’ll come out, we all know they’ll be very embarrassing. And so they know that I am being profoundly to remorse ever having met him and being launched to him within the first place.
“However I am unable to rewrite historical past. What I can do is specific my profound sympathy for many who handled by him.”
Lord Mandelson and No 10 have each been contacted for touch upon the most recent allegations.
