Starmer Urged to Speak Up About Mandelson's Dismissal
In a series of events that have raised eyebrows in the UK political sphere, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Reform UK's Richard Tice have criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the dismissal of Peter Mandelson as the ambassador to the United States.
The controversy began last Wednesday when Starmer discovered emails uncovered by Bloomberg, linking Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein, after Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs). Following this revelation, Mandelson was dismissed from his position.
However, the process leading to Mandelson's appointment and subsequent dismissal has been met with criticism from various quarters. Former minister and Tory veteran David Davis accused the government of applying a double standard to Mandelson, given his long history in Tony Blair's government and his political appointment.
Emily Thornberry, a contender for Labour's deputy leadership, expressed concerns about the vetting process of Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US. She suggested that potential red flags about Mandelson might have been ignored or missed during the vetting process. Thornberry even accused those vetting Mandelson of being told to overlook obvious signs that he posed a risk to national security.
Foreign office minister Stephen Doughty, however, stated that the Prime Minister took 'decisive action' to sack Mandelson and that due process was followed on vetting. He added that the Cabinet Office was responsible for the vetting process, a claim supported by a letter from foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, who denied that the process was not followed and stated that a due diligence process was conducted by the Cabinet Office.
Several MPs, including Kemi Badenoch, Emily Thornberry, and Sir David Davis, have criticised Starmer's conduct over the events leading to Mandelson's dismissal. Badenoch stated that Peter Mandelson should never have been appointed and called on Starmer to publish documents pertaining to Mandelson's appointment in full and issue an apology to Jeffrey Epstein's victims.
Notably, Prime Minister Starmer himself initially defended Mandelson but ultimately decided on his dismissal. The criticism came especially from opposition politicians and the media, as revealed in a memo from the Foreign Office signed by new Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper.
In response to the criticism, Starmer stated that he would not have appointed Mandelson had he known about his emails to Epstein prior to last December. However, he was not present at an emergency debate on the sacking of Mandelson.
The controversy has also drawn attention from various newspapers that denounced Mandelson's position due to new allegations and revelations about his connections to Epstein. Several Labour backbenchers, including Richard Burgon, have spoken out against the Prime Minister regarding the events leading to Mandelson's dismissal.
The saga surrounding Peter Mandelson's appointment and dismissal as the US ambassador continues to unfold, with questions about the vetting process, double standards, and the Prime Minister's conduct at the forefront of public discourse.
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