'Mandelson appointment continues to haunt Keir Starmer as he faces Commons showdown'

'Mandelson appointment continues to haunt Keir Starmer as he faces Commons showdown'The drip-feed of damaging stories about Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK's top diplomat in Washington continue to haunt Keir Starmer's governmentCommentsNewsopinionAshley Cowburn Deputy Political Editor18:55, 19 Apr 2026View ImageKeir Starmer was forced to sack Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to Washington last year(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)The drip-feed of damaging stories about Peter Mandelson's appointment as the UK's top diplomat in Washington continues to haunt Keir Starmer.‌Revelations over the so-called Prince of Darkness's friendship with the billionaire predator Jeffrey Epstein have rocked the Labour government in recent months.‌It led to the Prime Minister's brush with political death back in February where his top advisers set up a ‘war room’ in No10 to hit the phones to shore up his position. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the PM to quit. Fortunately for Mr Starmer, he was a lone voice among the most senior figures in the top ranks of today's Labour Party.‌But the danger has not completely faded and the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US continues to chip away at the Prime Minister's authority.This week the Prime Minister faces the eye of the storm once again. He is set to give a statement in the Commons on Monday addressing last week's explosive revelations Lord Mandelson was given clearance by the Foreign Office - despite failing official security vetting.READ MORE: Keir Starmer vows to be 'crystal clear' as he faces MPs' grilling over Mandelson scandalREAD MORE: Keir Starmer's Cabinet rally to PM's defence as he faces crunch momentIn recent days, Mr Starmer has vented his fury at the department - even sacking the permanent secretary Sir Olly Robbins, over the saga. He claims he was kept in the dark while Cabinet colleagues insi...