The UK prime minister is mired in a scandal involving a former ambassador’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is confronting a Labour Party revolt over the government’s failure to properly vet former U.S. envoy Peter Mandelson regarding his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. One Labour MP described Starmer as “toast.”
The controversy centers on Starmer’s choice to appoint Mandelson—a former Labour MP—as Washington envoy, with Mandelson accused of receiving $75,000 from Epstein. Mandelson said he has no memory of getting the money, while Starmer claimed he “was lied to” about the vetting process.
However, the prime minister’s defense angered fellow party members. According to the Daily Telegraph, Labour MPs have privately pressed senior figures—including former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Health Secretary Wes Streeting—to consider launching a leadership challenge. An unnamed minister called the crisis “existential” for Starmer.
Evaluating Starmer’s prospects, an unnamed Labour MP told the BBC the prime minister was “toast.” Broadcaster Piers Morgan echoed that view, saying it’s “just a question now of whether the whole government falls too.”
“He [Starmer] is like a wounded wildebeest: fatally injured but determined to show strength even though he knows the end is near,” another MP told the BBC.
Former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said Starmer’s explanations made him appear “weak, naive and gullible.”
Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan cited a “loss of trust and confidence in the № 10 operation” and called chief of staff Morgan McSweeney “clearly part of the problem,” as media reports noted widespread calls for McSweeney’s resignation.
The row has triggered fierce opposition attacks, with Tory spokesman Alicia Kearns accusing Starmer of an “abject lack of integrity” and describing his defense as “morally bankrupt.”
According to the Daily Mail, Angela Rayner has told her inner circle she is “ready” to launch a leadership campaign.
A Thursday YouGov survey found 50% of respondents believe Starmer should stand down and be replaced, compared to 24% who said he should stay. His approval ratings were already damaged by dissatisfaction with high migration levels and government policies.