The Calls In The UK Grow Louder For Keir Starmer To Step Down From His Prime Minister Position (9/18/25)

Many critics inside and outside Parliament argue that Starmer showed poor political judgment by appointing Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the US despite known associations with Jeffrey Epstein. Leaked emails revealed Mandelson had defended or supported Epstein after his 2008 conviction, and expressed views questioning that conviction. Although some of these connections had long been reported, additional content and its extent were only fully disclosed after Mandelson’s appointment. Opponents say Starmer should have immediately known that such red flags made the appointment untenable. The delay in reacting — first defending Mandelson, then firing him once the media published further revelations — has amplified the accusations of weak oversight and lack of risk assessment.

Within the Labour Party, there’s growing frustration over what many see as Starmer’s misreading of both optics and substance. Backbenchers and senior MPs have called for full transparency about the vetting process: what he was told, when, and by whom. Opposing parties are demanding apologies to Epstein’s victims, and some suggest that if Starmer cannot adequately account for these failures, his position could become unsustainable — especially if the controversy damages Labour’s standing in upcoming local elections. The controversy feeds into a broader narrative among critics that Starmer has repeatedly made questionable appointments, and lacks decisiveness and political sharpness when warning signs emerge.


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Keir Starmer breaks silence over Mandelson sacking: ‘Had I known then what I know now, I’d have never appointed him’ | The Independent