UK PM Starmer avoids parliament probe over Epstein associate Peter Mandelson

The scandal over the controversial appointment of Mandelson as envoy to the US has plagued Starmer’s government for months

Embattled UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday survived a bid by opposition politicians to subject him to a parliamentary probe over his controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as envoy to the US.

Members of parliament voted against referring Starmer to a committee to consider if he misled parliament over giving Mandelson, an ex-associate of late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the plum diplomatic post.

It was the latest development in an unrelenting scandal that has plagued Starmer’s Labour government for months, hampering its work and leading to calls for him to resign.

After a debate lasting more than five hours, 335 lawmakers voted against launching an investigation compared to 223 for – a majority of 112 in the 650-seat parliament.

The probe would have been held by the cross-party privileges committee, which investigates potential breaches of parliamentary conduct.

Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who led the move for the probe, said it was “very obvious” that what Starmer had told the House of Commons regarding Mandelson’s 2024 appointment was “not correct”.