Why the Epstein furor could bring down Starmer’s UK government
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) talks with then-ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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The release of further Epstein files last week triggered a series of events that left U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer fighting for his political life, despite the fact that he never knew the late financier and sex offender.
Starmer is under pressure over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador, despite knowledge of Mandelson’s connections to Epstein. The latest document release by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed more messages between Mandelson and Epstein, including after Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to a state charge of felony solicitation of prostitution, a case that involved an underage girl.
Starmer, who is facing calls to step down, has apologized to the victims of Epstein for believing Mandelson’s “lies.”
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Starmer’s Cabinet ministers have sought to rally around him, who has faced growing anger from opposition parties and members of his own party over the decision to appoint Mandelson.
Two resignations in quick succession had ratcheted up the pressure, with Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and communications director, Tim Allan, both stepping down.
Downing Street Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney arrives into Downing Street on October 06, 2025 in London, England.
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The furor led Anas Sarwar, who leads Starmer’s Labour Party in Scotland, to call on Starmer to resign.
“The distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change,” Sarwar said at a press conference on Monday.
Starmer held a pivotal meeting with Labour members of parliament afterwards, in which he reportedly said he was “not prepared to walk away.”
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office was not immediately available for comment.
Who is Peter Mandelson?
Mandelson has been a key figure for the center-left Labour Party for decades, playing a pivotal role in the so-called “New Labour” movement that saw Tony Blair become prime minister after a landslide election victory in 1997.
Known as a behind-the-scenes fixer and nicknamed the “Prince of Darkness,” Mandelson was a Labour member of parliament from 1992 to 2004 and served in Blair’s cabinet.
He left parliament to become a European Commissioner before returning to Britain in 2008 to work with then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, having been appointed to parliament’s unelected House of Lords.
U.S. President Donald Trump along with Peter Mandelson, then-British Ambassador to the United States, on May 8, 2025 in the White House.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images
After becoming prime minister in July 2024, Starmer appointed Mandelson as ambassador in Washington that December, a role he described at the time as “a great honor.” The appointment was controversial as…
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