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UK ex-health minister says will run to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer

controversy over the appointment of Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador

Pressure mounts on embattled UK PM Keir Starmer as rivals circle

controversy](/news/2026/4/20/uk-pm-starmer-admits-mistaken-call-on-mandelson-rejects-calls-to-resign) over the appointment of Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador

Naming Mandelson as ambassador before vetting was mistake, minister says

Mandelson was publicly named as ambassador before vetting had happened, particularly when many controversies about him were already known, Alexander said this was in part because of an existing protocol for such political appointments. This

Partygate v Mandelson: Keir Starmer faces attack from his own playbook

Peter Mandelson](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/20/appointment-peter-mandelson-new-uk-ambassador-to-us-divides-labour-mps), a Labour peer and veteran of successive governments, as ambassador in Washington. Politicians are rarely appointed to UK diplomatic posts and the decision was controversial

Top Cabinet Office official to give evidence to MPs about Peter Mandelson’s vetting – UK politics live

Peter Mandelson](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/peter-mandelson) vetting controversy. The Little hearing is unlikely to be as revelatory as the Olly Robbins session on Tuesday. But Little is a key figure in this story, for two reasons

Ministers urged to share Mandelson vetting files with intelligence committee

Peter Mandelson’s vetting process with the parliamentary committee tasked with deciding if they should be made public. In February, MPs passed a binding parliamentary motion, known as a humble address, requiring the government

Starmer should face Commons inquiry over Mandelson vetting, says Ed Davey

Peter Mandelson](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/peter-mandelson) as ambassador to Washington, Ed Davey has said. The Liberal Democrat leader called for the prime minister to be investigated by the privileges committee to determine whether he committed contempt

Starmer was kept in dark about Mandelson’s vetting by two top civil servants

controversy was an extraordinary summary document produced by UKSV on 28 January last year – weeks after Starmer had announced Mandelson would be his ambassador to Washington. The document identified highly sensitive concerns UKSV had about

Starmer says ‘vast majority’ of Labour still supports him, despite Mandelson controversy – UK politics live

controversy – UK politics live Good morning and welcome to today’s live coverage of UK politics. Despite several calls for his resignation from within his own party, **Keir Starmer** told [the Sunday Times](https://www.thetimes.com

Starmer accused of 'skulking' and shunning Sarwar in Scotland

controversy. "He still has monumental questions to answer in the House of Commons about what he knew about [Peter Mandelson's vetting situation](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kryzd8l7no). "If he has misled Parliament, he should resign." Gillian

Mandelson scandal is biggest crisis for diplomatic service in decades, says ex-Foreign Office chief

Peter Mandelson [failed his security vetting](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/keir-starmer-kept-in-dark-peter-mandelson-vetting-two-top-civil-servants) in January 2025, during the process to appoint him as ambassador the US. Robbins is said to have known about Mandelson’s failure to pass

Ex-FCDO chief tells MPs he had concerns over Mandelson’s Epstein links

Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffery Epstein – and said there was “absolutely” pressure from Downing Street over the pace of vetting. Giving evidence to the foreign affairs select committee, the former Foreign Office permanent secretary

Keir Starmer says it is unforgivable he was not told Mandelson failed vetting

ambassador to Washington. The prime minister said he was “furious” about what had happened, as he insisted he had not known that security officials had initially recommended that Mandelson be denied clearance. Speaking on Friday

‘Starmer’s referendum’: How local elections could expose a fractured UK

controversies. Labour is also facing pressure from parties at either end of the spectrum. The hard-right Reform UK is surging while the Green Party is gaining ground on the left. In Wales, the Welsh

Ministers speak out in cabinet meeting over Starmer’s sacking of Olly Robbins

Peter Mandelson vetting scandal as they warned him not to [alienate the civil service](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/21/anger-whitehall-civil-service-olly-robbins-sacked-keir-starmer), sources have told the Guardian. Several ministers spoke out about the decision to sack Robbins during a gloomy

Officials debate withholding Mandelson vetting documents from parliament

Peter Mandelson had [failed security vetting](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/16/revealed-mandelson-failed-vetting-but-foreign-office-overruled-decision) before he assumed the role of US ambassador, the Guardian can reveal. Any such decision could amount to an extraordinary breach of a parliamentary vote which

Revealed: Mandelson vetting warned of ties to senior figures in China, Russia and Israel

Peter Mandelson’s associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel were among the concerns raised by the UK’s vetting agency when it concluded he should be denied clearance, multiple sources have told