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Why can't Starmer escape the Mandelson scandal? | Global News Podcast
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April 21, 2026
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April 21, 2026
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8:29Now PlayingThe UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is under intense scrutiny over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, in 2024. Lord Mandelson - a veteran member of the Labour party - was dismissed after less than a year in the job, over his ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lord Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing.
On Monday, Keir Starmer was heckled by members of parliament, as he accused officials in the Foreign Office of deliberately withholding the fact that Lord Mandelson had initially failed his security vetting. On Tuesday, Sir Olly Robbins - who was sacked as the top senior civil servant at the Foreign Office last week - said his department faced "constant pressure" from the prime minister's office, to formally approve Mandelson's appointment.
Opposition figures, including the Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch, have called for Prime Minister Starmer to resign.
The BBC's UK political correspondent Rob Watson tells us that there is a growing consensus in Westminster that Mr Starmer will not lead the Labour party into the next general election.
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