Starmer is set to confront uneasy lawmakers in Parliament on Monday to defend his position after the shocking news that Mandelson was named ambassador to the United States despite failing security vetting.
Starmer expressed his “fury” at learning that an intensive vetting process in January 2025 had advised against granting Mandelson security clearance, yet the Foreign Office approved his appointment anyway.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy stated that had Starmer been aware of the vetting results, “he would never, ever have appointed him ambassador.” Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Sky News on Sunday that Starmer, as a man of integrity, “would not have proceeded” with Mandelson’s appointment had he known the details.
Also Read: UK’s Starmer says more than a dozen countries ready to join Hormuz defensive mission
Olly Robbins, the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, resigned on Thursday. Supporters argue he was merely fulfilling his duties and is being unjustly blamed. Robbins is expected to present his account to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
Simon McDonald, who served as the Foreign Office’s top civil servant until 2020, mentioned that Robbins had been “thrown under the bus.” He remarked to the BBC that vetting information is highly sensitive and “would never be shared” with the prime minister or his staff.
The primary opposition parties have urged Starmer to resign. Kemi Badenoch, leader of the right-of-centre Conservative Party, has deemed the prime minister’s position “untenable.”
Ed Davey, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, stated on Sunday that the government is “in perpetual crisis, and I don’t think they can get out of that unless Keir Starmer moves aside.” With a significant parliamentary majority, Starmer’s Labour Party holds power, yet discontent among his lawmakers grows amid poor poll ratings.
Also Read: British lawmakers in a jam over marmalade definition row
In February, Starmer managed to quell a potential crisis when some Labour MPs demanded his resignation over the Mandelson appointment. However, after local and regional elections on May 7, where Labour is anticipated to perform poorly, he could face a leadership challenge.
Some Labour lawmakers argue that changing leaders during a time of global unrest, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, could be detrimental, especially with three years until a mandatory national election.
Others are dismayed by the prime minister’s continual blunders since leading Labour to a landslide victory in July 2024. Starmer has faced challenges in delivering promised economic growth, revamping damaged public services, and addressing the cost of living, leading to numerous policy reversals.
Critics assert that the Mandelson appointment highlights the prime minister’s poor judgment. Documents released by the government in March, following parliamentary pressure, indicated that Starmer had been warned by aides about Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, who passed away in prison in 2019, which posed a “reputational risk” to the government.
However, Mandelson’s expertise as a former EU trade chief and his connections with global leaders were viewed as advantageous in negotiations with President Donald Trump’s administration.
His tenure lasted less than nine months, as Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September 2025 after it was revealed that he had misrepresented the nature of his connections to Epstein.
Also Read: UK PM Starmer rules out support for US blockade of Strait of Hormuz
The release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein by the U.S. Department of Justice in January unveiled further details, indicating that Mandelson’s association with the financier persisted even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sexual offenses involving a minor.
Emails also suggested that Mandelson provided sensitive government information to Epstein in 2009, following the global financial crisis, which could have had market ramifications.
British authorities initiated a criminal investigation, and Mandelson was arrested on February 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has since been released without bail conditions as the investigation continues. Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged, nor does he face allegations of sexual misconduct.
