U.K.’s Starmer didn’t know Jeffrey Epstein. But the PM’s job is under threat

Royal Commentator Afua Hagan on U.K. police launching an investigation into former ambassador Mandelson and the latest on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

LONDON — Keir Starmer never met Jeffrey Epstein. But the British prime minister’s job is under threat because of the fallout from the late sex offender’s global web of relationships.

Friendship with Epstein has already brought down a British royal -- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew -- and U.K ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson, fired by Starmer over his friendship with the financier.

Now new revelations have plunged Starmer’s center-left government into turmoil.

• Epstein files explained: Who’s named, what’s redacted, and where to find them
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Starmer is facing mounting pressure from within his governing Labour Party over his decision in 2024 to appoint Mandelson, a veteran Labour politician, to the Washington role despite his ties to Epstein. Just how close those ties were has been exposed in newly released documents that have dominated headlines in the U.K.

Starmer apologized on Thursday to Epstein’s victims, saying Mandelson had repeatedly lied and “portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew.”

“I am sorry, sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you,” Starmer said. “Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him.”

Critics believe it’s an error that could end Starmer’s premiership.

“He is now essentially a boxer on the ropes,” said Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester. “His administration could fall over tomorrow, or it could stagger on for months or even years. (But) his authority is seriously shot.”

Mandelson a risky appointment

Starmer fired Mandelson, 72, in September after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein following the late financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor. Epstein committed suicide in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on U.S. federal charges accusing him of sexually abusing dozens of girls.

Documents published last week by the U.S. Department of Justice contain new revelations, including papers suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis, and records of payments totaling $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 from Epstein to accounts linked to Mandelson or his husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva.

There are also chatty, jokey messages pointing to a much closer relationship with Epstein than Mandelson had disclosed.

British police are investigating Mandelson over potential misconduct in public office. He is not accused of any sexual offenses and says he never witnessed any sexual wrongdoing,

Mandelson was chosen as ambassador because his trade expertise, contacts and mastery of the political “dark arts” were considered assets in dealing with President Donald Trump’s second administration.

Critics say Starmer was, at best, naive in not recognizing the risks involved. Aside from his association with Epstein, Mandelson twice had to resign from senior government posts because of scandals over money or ethics.

‘His judgment is questionable’

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer answered “Yes” when asked whether the vetting process in 2024 had revealed that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein continued after the latter’s 2008 conviction.

The answer sent shock waves through the chamber. On Thursday Starmer said he had meant only that it had “been known publicly for some time that they knew each other.”

The government plans to release files related to the vetting process hat it hopes will exonerate Starmer and show Mandelson lied. But the government is not entirely in control of the process. Some documents are likely to be held back because of the police investigation. Others will be reviewed by Parliament’s independent Intelligence and Security Committee for potential national security implications.

Labour lawmaker Paula Barker said the prime minister “has shown that his judgment is questionable.”

“I think he has questions to answer,” she told the BBC. “I think he has a very long way to go to rebuild trust and confidence with the public, and trust and confidence within our party.”

A string of setbacks

Starmer has faced a string of setbacks since he led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. He pledged a return to honest government after 14 years of scandal-tarred Conservative rule, but has been beset by missteps and U-turns over welfare cuts and other unpopular policies.

Labour consistently lags behind the hard-right Reform UK party in opinion polls, and its failure to improve had sparked talk of a leadership challenge, even before the Mandelson revelations.

The Epstein files may have brought a challenge closer, but key rivals are holding back, for now.

Senior lawmaker Angela Rayner, a popular figure on the left of the party, is still stinging after being forced to resign as deputy prime minister in September for failing to pay enough tax on a home purchase. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, a star of Labour’s right, was close to Mandelson in the past.

Some Labour lawmakers are calling for Starmer to fire his top aide Morgan McSweeney, a powerful backroom figure mistrusted by many Labour lawmakers, and widely seen as a key force behind Mandelson’s appointment.

On Thursday Starmer vowed to carry on doing the “vital work” of governing.

But more potential flashpoints loom. Labour may lose a long-held seat in Parliament in a Feb. 26 special election in Greater Manchester. The party is also expected to fare badly in regional and local elections in May.

Ford said that “whenever the moment comes when Starmer does finally leave, either of his own volition or because his MPs oust him ... It will all be traced back to appointing Peter Mandelson.”

By Jill Lawless, The Associated Press