Labour leader Keir Starmer has made it clear that Peter Mandelson will not be rejoining the government following his removal as the UK’s ambassador to Washington. The decision to dismiss Mandelson came after new information emerged regarding his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Emails revealed that Mandelson had advocated for Epstein’s early release shortly before Epstein was sentenced to prison.
Mandelson, known as the “Prince of Darkness,” was appointed as the UK’s ambassador to the US in December 2024 but faced controversy leading to his dismissal. This was the third instance where Mandelson had to leave a government position under contentious circumstances.
When asked about Mandelson’s future in politics and the possibility of reinstating him in the Labour Party in the House of Lords, Starmer stated that there would be no government appointments for Mandelson. Additionally, Mandelson is currently on leave from the House of Lords, making the issue of the party whip irrelevant.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that Mandelson will lose the Freedom of Hartlepool honor due to his association with Epstein. The search for Mandelson’s replacement as the US ambassador is ongoing to manage relations with the Trump administration.
In the meantime, James Roscoe is serving as the interim ambassador. Starmer also avoided commenting on whether Michelle Mone should lose her peerage in the House of Lords.
Baroness Mone, connected to the problematic company PPE Medpro involved in a scandal regarding a breached Covid PPE contract, had her Tory whip revoked in 2022 by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Starmer mentioned that Mone is not currently an active member of the House of Lords and emphasized that there is a procedure to address such matters.
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