Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has publicly stated he would not have appointed Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States if he had possessed full knowledge of Mandelson’s association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. These comments were Sir Keir’s first since Lord Mandelson’s subsequent dismissal. The Prime Minister affirmed that a proper due diligence process was undertaken prior to the appointment, but emphasized, “Had I known then what I know now, I’d have never appointed him.” This statement follows a period where Sir Keir publicly endorsed Lord Mandelson at Prime Minister’s Questions one day prior to his sacking. The dismissal occurred after Bloomberg reported on emails from 2008 in which Lord Mandelson sent supportive messages to Epstein following his guilty plea.
Source: www.bbc.com