Senior Cabinet ministers on Sunday marched against British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is reeling over his decision to give Britain’s most important diplomatic job to Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tainted politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer will face conservative MPs in the House of Commons on Monday to fight for his job after the scathing revelation that Mandelson was appointed US ambassador despite failing security checks.
Starmer says he is “angry” that he was not told at the time, in January 2025, that a thorough investigation process was recommended. Mandelson not being given a security clearance. The Foreign Office, which oversees diplomatic appointments, fired him anyway.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy he said like Star player he knew, “he would never appoint him as ambassador”.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Sky News on Sunday that Starmer “is a man of integrity and there is no way he would have gone ahead” with Mandelson’s nomination if he had known.
The Foreign Office’s chief public servant, Olly Robbins, was forced to resign on Thursday – although allies say he was just doing his job and being made a scapegoat. Robbins is expected to give his own version of events to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
