Starmer’s chief of staff resigns from Mandelson ambassador appointment despite Epstein ties – National
The British Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keir Starmer, resigned on Sunday following the uproar over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US despite his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Morgan McSweeney said he took responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson, 72, to Britain’s most important post in 2024.
“The decision to nominate Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” McSweeney said in a statement. “When I was asked, I advised the Prime Minister to appoint and I take full responsibility for that advice.”
Starmer is facing a political storm and questions about his decision after newly published documents, part of a trove of Epstein files made public in the United States, suggested Mandelson sent sensitive market information to the convicted sex offender when he was the UK government’s business secretary during the 2008 financial crisis.
Starmer’s government has promised to release its emails and other documents related to Mandelson’s appointment, which it says will show Mandelson misled officials.
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The prime minister apologized this week for “believing Mandelson’s lies.” He said “none of us knew the dark depths” of the relationship between Mandelson and Epstein when the former was being vetted for a diplomatic job.
But a number of lawmakers have called for Starmer to resign.
“Keir Starmer must answer for his bad decisions,” said Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition Conservative Party.
Mandelson, a former cabinet minister, diplomat and state official for the ruling Labor Party, has not been arrested or charged.
The Metropolitan Police searched Mandelson’s London home and other property linked to him on Friday. Police said the investigation is complex and will require “a significant amount of evidence collection and analysis.”
The UK police investigation is focused on possible misconduct in public office, and Mandelson is not accused of any sexual offences.
Starmer fired Mandelson in September from his ambassadorship because of earlier revelations about his Epstein relationship. But critics say emails recently published by the US Department of Justice have raised serious concerns about Starmer’s decision. They say he should have known better than to appoint Mandelson in the first place.
The new revelations include documents suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis. They also include records of payments totaling $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 from Epstein to accounts linked to Mandelson or her husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva.
Aside from his relationship with Epstein, Mandelson previously had to resign twice from high-level government positions due to financial or ethics scandals.
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