UK PM Starmer fights back over sacking of his envoy to US

London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday fought back against a growing challenge to his leadership from the Opposition Tories and his own Labour Party backbenchers over the sacking of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.

Starmer admitted being aware of damaging emails that indicated Mandelson’s close ties with convicted American paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. However, the Prime Minister stressed that he was not aware of the “nature and extent” of the veteran Labour Party politician’s relationship with Epstein, who died in a New York prison six years ago.

“Had I known then what I know now, I’d have never appointed him,” Starmer told reporters from 10 Downing Street. “What emerged last week were Bloomberg emails which showed that the nature and extent of the relationship that Peter Mandelson had with Epstein was far different to what I had understood to be the position when I appointed him,” he said.

“On top of that, what the email showed was he was not only questioning but wanting to challenge the conviction of Epstein at the time that, for me, went and cut across the whole approach that I’ve taken on violence against women and girls for many years, and this government’s approach,” he stated.

Questioned over why he chose to stand by his envoy in Parliament even after extracts of Mandelson’s exchange with Epstein were published, Starmer said he was awaiting answers to more detailed questions he had put to the now-fired ambassador.

“It was only very late on Wednesday when Peter Mandelson replied to the questions that had been put to him by government officials. And it was on that, basically, I took my decision that he should be removed,”he said.agencies